Digimon : Non Tamer 2 : Terror of Chaos
by Digital-Warkiller
Summary: A month after their last adventure, Kylee and Riza suddenly find themselves in a new one of tragic lengths when Regan unexpectedly returns...without his partner! But...not alone...For Kari Kamiya appears with him! Yet more evil is on their tracks...
1. Unexpected Return

AN : Hello again, and thanks for reading my fics so far. Of course, this is a sequel to the first NT fic, so if you want to avoid spoilers or be lost at the story, please read the first Digimon The Non Tamer fic.

Once again, please remember that not all characters in the story are owned by me. Some are the product of other DeviantArt artists or they are characters made by either Toei and/or Bandai, or Blizzard Entertainment.

Please enjoy, and mind yourself in the cases of some potentially brutal parts at times in the chapters.

---

The six winged humanoid form was panting hard. It rose up it's head, seeing a much larger humanoid figure looming over itself. The larger figure threw down an arm toward the smaller one, which managed to jump away, letting the arm crash in the ground. The small winged figure quickly clasped it's hands together before pointing them at the large arm. When it did, several white and pinkish beams poured out of its hand, impacting several times on the large arm, making it twitch and retract.

Even then, the large figure didn't seemed too much affected.

The winged figure noticed something starting to glow at the head of the large figure…  
"White Flame Wave!" someone yelled out before waves of white colored flame rushed out and struck right in the face of the large figure.

"Are you okay?" the sudden attacker said as it flew down, flying with four large wings, landing near the six winged figure, also bearing a sword in it's right hand and a large shield in the left one.

"I'm okay…" the other replied, though while the features of the four winged figure were a bit more blocky, mainly also because of the armor that it was wearing, the six winged figure's features were thinner, feminine.

"It just…that this digimon…I've never seen one like that before…"

---

"_Have you ever seen that digimon before?"  
"I'm really not sure…I swear it's familiar though…"_

---

Suddenly, both small figures noticed that something in the center of the larger figure's head was glowing bright.

"_Absorbant Bang!"_

---

"_We don't have time for this! Eject!"  
"Wha-argghh!!"_

---

A blinding explosion of light filled his eyes as an explosion suddenly ripped out of nowhere…

---

In a cave, within a tall mountain, a shadowed, cloaked figure was sitting on a large chair made of rock. It seemed pensive…until…

It suddenly raised its head then rose out of its chair, walking toward the large opening.

As it neared, it noticed an explosion of light in the distance…

"Mmm…this is…" it muttered. "It cannot be…"

**Digital-Warkiller presents…**

A new Digimon Fan fiction…

**Digimon : The Non-Tamer 2  
Terror of Chaos**

"_In many ways, we believe that when an adventure is over, it is done with it, and can be put aside…_

But what if the end of that adventure…was only the prelude to another one?  
Sometimes, memories of those previous adventures may haunt us for far longuer than we may believe…"

**Chapter 1 : Unexpected return**

Dirt filled his mouth…

At least that's what he was supposing, considering he never really got taste in such 'food'…

As he rose, his head swam, vertigo threatening him. He put a hand to his forehead, trying to make his head stopping to spin.

When finally his head was getting clearer, he could sit.

"Ooowww…damnit…what the hell just happened?" the boy spoke, wearing a long brown cloak over his red t-shirt, his sleveless black jacket, his brown gloves, his blue jeans along with his black and red sport shoes. He had slightly spiky brown colored hairs along with dark blue eyes.

Regan rubbed his blurry eyes…then gasped as he looked around.

He was definitively not where he expected to be.

He was sitting in the grass, right.  
But sitting in the middle of a park, with a nearby bench.  
"_No…please…it can't be that…"_ he thought, nervosity gaining him.

A moaning breifly startled him as he looked to his right side, at a bush.  
"Lizomon?" he asked.  
"Regan? Is that you?" A voice answered.  
But not the one of Lizomon. It was the voice of a girl instead.  
"Oh…Wait a minute, don't move from there!" Regan suddenly said as he rose up.  
"What?" the girl said from the bush, obviously confused.

Regan walked around, looking at every possible details.

He then came to a nearby tree and looked in the branches.  
His heart skipped a beat as he saw the claw marks on them. From their looks, they were dating from quite some time…

And Regan knew exactly when that happened…

"No…not this again…It can't be…"Regan muttered, getting more desperate.  
"What 'again'?" the girl asked from the bush, sounding both confused and worried. Rustle came from the bush as she probably wanted to get out now.  
"No wait!" Regan said, running up to the bush.  
"Regan! What's gotten into you?!?" the girl said, ceasing to move.

Regan removed his cloak on him and handed it in the bushes. "Put it on you. Make sure that you can't be recognized." Regan said seriously.  
"But why?" the girl asked.  
"Do it. Please…" Regan insisted.  
"…okay…" the girl finally answered. The cloak was taken in the bushes before more rustling was heard and then finally the silhouette of a person, wearing Regan's cloak, and standing a bit smaller than him, pulled out from the bushes.

"But I don't understand. Why must I keep your cloak on?" the girl asked again, her face hidden beneath the hood.

Regan, much discouraged, looked away from her.  
"Lizomon! Where are you?" Regan shouted.

No answer.

"You'd probably wouldn't be playing games right now Lizo…  
So this means…you aren't here at all…" Regan muttered.

"But…what about-" the girl asked.  
"She's not here either from what I can suspect." Regan interrupted.  
"Why? Why are you doing this? Ordering me around like that? What's wrong?" the girl asked.  
"Take a look around you." Regan answered grimly. The girl and gasped slightly.  
"We're in the Real World?" she asked.  
"Yes and no…" Regan answered. "Not our world…"  
"What?!?" the girl exclaimed.  
"Come on…I'll explain later…but there's something I need to get first…" Regan said, motionning the girl to follow him.  
"Or rather…someone…" he muttered to himself.

---

"_It's been a while since that happened…"_  
"_Oh, for those who don't know me, I'll introduce myself. I'm Kylee Henke. A Tamer living in Phoenix City._

_A few months ago, something really unexpected happened. Something to me, my digimon partner, and to my friend Riza.  
Something unlike anything we'd ever think…_

A few months ago, a strange boy suddenly arrived in the city and challenged me with his unknown digimon. They were called Regan Astrasz and Lizomon.

I took the fight…But me and my partner, Impmon, lost against Lizomon.  
When we had been thinking it had just been a simple fight…we had really no idea of what would happen after…

A few days after the fight, strange things started to happen. Digimon appeared out of nowhere and started attacking. At first, there had been an attack at school, but Riza and me managed to beat the digimon, along with the help of a mysterious digimon.

But as things continued to go on, it got even worse. Those attacks started to be more focused on me and Riza.

Despite that, we managed to beat them, until it started to get really, really bad.

The Agumon, from another Tamer, was affected by some strange card, and dark digivolved into SkullGreymon…  
No doubt that this digimon would have killed lots of people…if not for Regan suddenly coming in, with his digimon…

Lizomon…digivolved as MetalRyumon…another Ultimate.  
MetalRyumon deleted SkullGreymon, and Riza, me and our digimon were a lot shocked from this. Regan's words though only made us more confused.

Things got even worse as the authorities decided to hold out every Tamer' digimon into their house, and later on, a Golemon attacked me and Riza. Luckily, Veemon, Riza's partner, defied the law and came out to help us.

But in the end, even if Veemon digivolved to Ex-Veemon, we suddenly got a message telling us that the authorities had detected the digivolution signal and were coming in. Riza ordered Ex-Veemon to go away with me, leaving Riza to be arrested by the authorities. Though Regan met me to obviously try to calm me down about this, I really lost my nerves on him.

But he did something that no one of us really expected. He sent his partner to free Riza and get him out.  
_  
But later on, right after this, he challenged Riza and Veemon to a duel against Lizomon's Champion form, Ryumon. The fight even went on as Paildramon versus MetalRyumon, and in the end, MetalRyumon won._

Regan explained to Riza that he was a governement agent sent to deal out with a dangerous hacker, but as Riza wanted to meet me again, I went away, going off to search for Impmon, who had vanished.

But later on, Lizomon came to me, delivering a message from Regan, asking me to meet him elsewhere. When I got to the plains where I waited for him, he came, with Riza.  
_  
However, Impmon also came there, and confronted Regan and Lizomon into being the criminals they were hunting. He somehow digivolved to Beelzemon and fought against MetalRyumon before beating him down. He then wanted to kill Regan, but Paildramon got in, but right after this, Lizomon's mega form revealed himself, as Beelzemon hadn't really beaten him. UltimaRyumon, a dragon knight digimon then went to fight Beelzemon in a really crazy fight._

While we were watching, Regan spoke about the truth concerning him…  
He wasn't even a Tamer, or a governement agent…  
But a Digdestined…

Even despite that, Beelzemon didn't believed Regan and continued fighting.  
I tried to talk sense into Beelzemon…but he shot me however Riza partly took the hit instead of me.  
Angered, Regan bio-merged with Lizomon to form AtmaRyumon, who finally beat down Beelzemon, but didn't killed him. AtmaRyumon said that it was to me to decide if Impmon should die or not. Even with what he could have done to me, I didn't wanted him to die…and Beelzemon also realized his own mistakes and reverted to Impmon.

Later, after AtmaRyumon healed Riza, Regan and Lizomon explained to us the truth.  
We weren't really expecting that, to be honest.

Regan is indeed a Digidestined, but he comes from another Real World…and it's the same one than the one of the show, which means that the show has been real all along!

According to Regan, he's hunting a dangerous enemy of his, called Ragnarok, and both of them were sent into our world during a huge fight in the Digital World. Regan really seemed troubled about some things reguarding Ragnarok, and I was a lot uncertain about if I could still be good after all that happened…

Lizomon though gave me so 'good' reminders that I could be a really great Tamer.

After we had planned to try to face Ragnarok, he actually came to face me and Impmon, while having sent digimon to slow down Regan and Riza from helping me.  
His digimon managed to hurt me a lot, and even tried to kill me, but Impmon somehow digivolved to Beelzemon again and saved me. Later, Riza, Regan, UltimaRyumon, and Imperialdramon came to support us, but Ragnarok fled, saying to Regan that they were 'destinied to meet again'.

Regan and Lizomon bio-merged again as AtmaRyumon to heal my own wounds, and he and Riza brought me back home. Later, Impmon talked to me, as I was wondering perhaps stopping to fight…but _we couldn't. We had to go on. Regan and Riza needed us._

I also asked Regan one thing : Is it hard to be a Digidestined?  
He answered "A lot." But he also added that it could be worth it. I asked if it was worth it for him right now, and he said yes.  
But it's obvious he was still troubled about something he wasn't telling us.  
However, later on when we met again to plan out what to do against Ragnarok, we noticed a huge portal being created over the city's central park. No doubt it was Ragnarok's doing.

We went there quickly, meeting some opposition on the way, but managed to arrive to confront _Ragnarok, who revealed the truth about what he really was as he showed us his face…_

Which was nearly like Regan's…As if they were twins of some sort…  
Regan explained that Ragnarok was a monster born within himself. That was the reason Regan wanted to stop him at all cost, and first wanted to deal out with him on his own, in the Digital World. He didn't wanted anyone else to be harmed because of him.

But even then, we were ready to help him, as friends, just like his other Digidestined friends in the Digital World would have done.

We all fought together against Ragnaok's digimon, a virus modified created copy of Lizomon, a BlackLizomon. Our digimon fought him from Rookie to Mega, and it even went to Bio-Merge as AtmaRyumon against ErebosRyumon, but AtmaRyumon called to the Digital World, asking it to lend some of it's power to Beelzemon and Imperialdramon. That caused them to mode change into their Blast Mode and Fight Mode respectively. They joined again in the fight, and all together, they managed to destroy Ragnarok once and for all…or so we thought…

Ragnarok soon reappeared as a huge dragon made of flames, and our digimon were too exhausted to fight, and AtmaRyumon was also a lot tired. He tried fighting Ragnarok again, but he wouldn't really stand much of a chance at all.

But…Impmon gave us an idea…  
We knew AtmaRyumon was, in a way, working with the powers of life, as he could give life to others. So we decided to give AtmaRyumon our remaining strength.

And all together, we finally finished Ragnarok. His death caused a huge explosion that probably brought Regan and Lizomon back to the Digital World.

Honestly, that's what I think it did.

But after all that happened…it wasn't over for Riza and me.  
We kinda became celebrities for what we did, to protect the city. It was kinda nice to be famous for what we did…but in a way…a lot was owed to the one we weren't speaking off…Regan.

However… Things turned weird after all that happened…

A few days after all the commotion in becoming famous…both Riza, me and our digimon were waking up to deal with another interview we would have…

_But…It's kinda hard to explain…  
But… It's…as if nothing happened…  
I knew that honestly, neither Riza or me really wanted any of that 'adventure' to happen to us… It's not like we wanted all of this to happen…_

And somehow, that 'wish'…it got granted…

Somehow, everyone in the city, everything had returned to normal.  
It's as if absolutely nothing happened at all! As if Regan wasn't even there. Nobody remembered anything about all that…Nobody except Riza, me and our digimon.  
_  
Had this all been somekind of dream?  
No…Both Riza and I realized that quickly.  
We still had some small scars from the wounds we got ourselves.  
Beelzemon's gunshot for Riza…ChaosRyumon's blades for me.  
Both of us still had some fading scars…No way it wouldn't have been a dream, a dream that two digimon and their Tamers would have done?_

Then…what just happened so that everything returned to normal? Even all the damages done repaired?

Honestly, I'd like to understand…  
But one thing I really want…is to keep my memories of what happened the day Regan came.

Riza and I know he really came. We know it. It wasn't some dream.  
But then…who decided to cover up his tracks? There's no way Regan would have been able to do that, and I'm sure he wouldn't have wanted to do that…

Would he?

Anyway…it's been a few months since that happened, and things really returned normal for us, except a few changes.  
Riza really got better in digimon battles and has now gotten up as the second best Tamer in the city!

As for me…I still hold up my own best Tamer title..And no way I'm gonna let someone else take it!"

The blond haired girl with white streaks in her hairs walked in the school's corridors, going at her class room.

"Another day again…" she muttered to herself as she went to take her seat in the room.  
She saw a purple colored humanoid creature peeking in the window from outside, who then winked at her. The girl winked back before getting her attention on the coming class…

---

"Geez, that's really getting boring…" a boy whispered to her. Like the girl, he was wearing a school uniform, though he had a very light brownish hair color.  
The girl simply nodded, holding her head tiredly.

For a moment, the girl blinked slowly. That was indeed a lot boring.  
"_Okay Kylee…sometimes, what were you really liking? School or those crazy brushing with death with that adventure with Regan?"_ she thought to herself.

Then she noticed something odd…  
Some slight green colored mist seemingly appearing around, then breifly vanished…

The boy was trying to take some notes right now, though he had been breifly doodling some little drawings in his notebook.

A sudden banging sound made him jump, and startled everyone.

He looked to his left, where the sound came from…

To see Kylee fallen on the floor, unmoving.  
"Kylee!" he shouted as he raised off his seat and went to her, checking her heart pulse…which was beating unusually fast.  
"Mr Smith, I'll bring her to the infirmary." The boy said.  
"Okay Riza." The professor nodded.  
Riza, the boy, quickly hurried to lift up the unconcious Kylee and hurried to go to the infirmary…

"What's wrong with her?!?" the impish purple digimon said, having watched from the window.  
"I don't know Impmon." Another digimon answered, blue colored and looking like a humanoid lizard with a 'V' mark on the forehead, and a small horn for his nose. "Maybe she's just having a fever."  
"Hey Veemon, don't think that Kylee's a weakling!" Impmon, the purple digimon, with a red bandana said, tightening a fist.  
"I never said that! We never know what kind of thing could happen, right?" Veemon replied. "Anyway, let's try to check on her instead of arguing." He added before running toward the infirmary's window. Impmon soon went after him.

She slowly opened her eyes, though she definitively felt a good amount of pain in her head.  
"Kylee!" a familiar voice suddenly rung in her ears, adding up a bit more pain. Riza's face filled a good part of her view.  
"Owww, Riza…not so loud please…" Kylee muttered, holding a hand to her head.  
"I was really worried Kylee. You just fell on the floor right in the middle of the class! What happened?" he asked.  
"What? I…fell?" Kylee said, raising slowly, and noticed that she had been lying on a bed in the infirmary.  
"Yeah, all of a sudden, you fell unconscious in the class!" Riza repeated. "What just happened?"  
"…" Kylee remained silent, uncertainty much visible in her face. "Riza…something's wrong…" she said.  
"Huh?"  
"I heard some weird voice…There was green mist everywhere in the class…but I was the only one who saw it…  
Then there were those eyes…The instant I saw them…everything went black…" Kylee muttered, trying to recollect herself.  
"Kylee…you're sure everything's all right?" Riza said.  
"I'm not sure…But honestly, I had been thinking about Regan in the last days…  
But Riza…"  
"Yes?"  
"Those eyes…when I saw them…I saw…  
Everything…  
It was the eyes of everyone I've seen…  
I just know it…the eyes of everyone I liked…or hated…  
Even…  
My eyes…" Kylee spoke, much uncertain.  
"…" Riza was definitively not sure what to say. A small smile then came on his face. "You probably started getting asleep and you fell while making some dream." He said, trying to comfort her.  
"I'm really not sure Riza…" Kylee said, turning to sit on the bed now, her legs dangling from the bed's side. "Before I saw those eyes…I saw something else…Someone's silhouette…  
Riza…  
I think it was Regan…"  
"Regan?!?" Riza said, surprised. "You're sure of this?"  
"I think so…" Kylee answered, unsure, and weakly. The silhouette vanished before I saw the eyes…but I definitively saw Regan's eyes among them. Even Lizomon's.  
I think something may be not right…perhaps he's trying to reach to us?"  
"I don't know how he could do that. He's in the Digital World, from what we could guess."

Silence reigned for a time, as the digimon were also watching and listening worryingly from the window.

The school bell then rang, bringing the two Tamers to closer things.

"Anyway, school's done now. We'd better get home now Kylee." Riza said.  
"Okay." She simply answered. Riza started going out for the door while Kylee was still sitting on the bed, her head low.  
"Kylee? You're coming?" Riza said.  
"Oh, yeah…" Kylee said before pushing herself from the bed and soon accompanied Riza out of the infirmary.

Both digimon at the window briefly looked worryingly at each other before leaving the window.

---

"Kylee? Are you okay now?" Impmon said as he met Kylee out of the school.  
"Oh…so you saw what happened, right?" Kylee said with a saddened frown.  
"Yeah, we did." Veemon replied.  
Looking left and right, at the many other children who were leaving the school, Kylee lead Riza, Veemon and Impmon to a nearby bench without too many children around.

"Listen. I don't really know what happened to me in the class…but I had some strange kind of dream…

And perhaps…it was some kind of…vision…" Kylee said to the others on a partly low tone.  
"Aw come on Kylee." Impmon said on a doubtful tone. "You just can't say that you suddenly got some prophetic powers now. It probably was some dream, weird ones, but dreams. Besides, you stayed a bit too late up yesterday night."  
"Hem…sorry about that…" Kylee said with a clearly shy tone. A smile came on her face. "Yeah, maybe you're right. I just didn't sleep enough last night and it got on me in school, combined with a boring class." She added, her attitude coming back to her.  
"Anyway, let's go home now. And this night, I better start sleeping sooner." She said again, rising up from the bench.  
The others imitated her and started going for the courtyard exit.

Suddenly, a sickly green light exploded right in the courtyard, followed by a terrible howling sound. People started scattering away.

As the light faded, a nightmarish creature, that looked like an eight-legged lupine beast with gray fur and sickly green eyes appeared, suddenly looking around, growling.

"What's that digimon?" Riza said, stepping back from the strange beast.

Both Regan and the unknown girl arrived at the school's entrance, only to see the appearance of the creature.

"What is that? A digimon?" Regan muttered.  
"It doesn't really look like one…" the girl said, keeping Regan's cloak and hood tight on herself.  
Regan's eyes narrowed as he continued to watch, and saw Riza, Kylee and their digimon.

"I have to help them." Regan said as he started forward, only to being held by the hand by the other girl.

"What? You can't do that. Lizomon isn't here." She said.  
"I know…but I have another method…" Regan answered darkly.  
He felt her shake. "Not…_that_…You know we aren't supposed to use it anymore. That was only for-" she said.  
"I know! I know!" Regan snapped. "…But I already used it a while ago." Regan said darkly.  
"What? You did?" the girl asked.  
"So I can handle the pain. And I have to help those two with those digimon. They're friends to me." Regan added.  
"Friends? When did you-"  
"I'll tell all about this later. I gotta help them." Regan interrupted again and started running toward the courtyard.  
The girl continued to watch, unsure of what she should do…

The lupine beast continued to breifly look around, growling, until its gaze fell on Kylee, Riza and their digimon.

It started to crouch, readying to pounce.  
Impmon and Veemon readied themselves.

And suddenly, just as the creature's muscles tensed and it leapt, another form collided with it, sending both rolling away breifly before the other newcomer kicked the lupine beast away.

"What the-Who is this?" Riza said.

The person, definitivly human in shape, rose, slightly dusting itself, and half-crouched itself as it gazed at the other beast.

But as it rose, Kylee gasped, seeing something she hadn't expected.

The person was dressed in blue jeans, black and red sport shoes, red t-shirt beneath a black sleeveless vest. Since they were seeing 'him' from back, they could only see the slightly spiky hair of his head.

But it was more than enough for not only Kylee, but the others, to recognize who it could be…

"Regan?" all four of them said in surprise.

But then, just as Regan slightly turned his head, Kylee notcied another very strange detail about Regan, something the others probably noticed…

Regan's hands were ending up in long claws, the skin of his hands being more orangish. In fact, of the same color than Lizomon's scale coloring. The hands themselves, even if they were being 'human' seemed to be a bit of a mix of Lizomon's claws and Regan's hands.

Two long dark orange horns had sprouted on the side of Regan's head, above the ears, and pointed backward.

Lastly, an orange tail had sprouted from his back.

And the look in his eyes…

Even if the eyes were dark blue in color…the gaze in them was not really the same.

It seemed to be a mix of Regan and Lizomon. Regan's expression was unusually serious, much like Lizomon before he would fight.

"We'll talk about this later…" Regan said seriously.

As he did, several more green flashes of light appeared around, as more of the lupine creatures appeared, howling, then looking around.

'Regan' readied himself, gazing at the one he had send away, watching as it recovered and eyed him.

Impmon and Veemon also held themselves ready, while their partner prepared to attempt a safe retreat.

And while that was happening, the unknown girl wearing Regan's cloak continued to watch helplessly and worringly…


	2. Fallen Children

"_In our lives, there are always some, imagined or otherwise, that we look up to, as heroes, as idols to emulate…_

But how can we react…when we see those very heroes…  
Fall right before our eyes?"

**Chapter 2 : Fallen Children**

The lupine beast that Regan threw away growled before it charged toward Regan with a howl.  
Regan flashed his claws before yelling out as he charged at the beast, then leapt in the air before falling down, foot first toward the beast.

The creature leapt in the air and rammed right into Regan, throwing both of them down.  
Kylee, Riza, and unknowingly to them, the cloaked girl gasped as they saw Regan being caught by the beast.

Both crashed in the ground, the gray lupine beast on top of Regan. It tried to bite him, opening its maw, but Regan held out his arms and grabbed hold of the beast's maws. Both struggled hard, Regan forcing the maws away, the beast's drool splattering on his clothes while it stomped the ground with its eight legs.

Regan grunted, then pushed himself with his feet and delivered a hard knee strike in the beast's belly, causing it to whine. The boy took the advantage to push the beast further away then slashed out hard on the beast's fur before leaping back.

Once Regan was a bit further away, he held out one hand, as he concentrated himself, and multi-colored energy flared in his hand before it formed into a ball.

Riza's eyes widened as he gasped, seeing Regan's action.

Regan threw the ball at the beast, and it exploded on it, the beast being thrown back and whining more.

"No way…" Riza said, eyes opened in suprise.  
"Yeah, I don't get it how Regan is like that." Kylee said, still being as much surprised as Riza.  
"No, it's not that…" Riza added.  
"What?" Kylee asked.  
"When I was imprisoned, there was a digimon who came to free me. But…it wasn't Lizomon…  
I'd been thinking it was a digimon all along…but it was Regan himself!!!" Riza said.  
"What?!? That was Regan who freed you from the prison?" Kylee said, stunned by surprise.  
"Yeah, that energy ball move…The 'digimon' who freed me did exactly that…  
No way…It can't be somebody else…but how can Regan be like that?" Riza explained.  
"Whatever Regan really is, I think both of you should get back, and quick." Impmon said as the other beasts around seemed to have taken 'interest' in the two Tamers and their digimon.

Two of the beasts went after Impmon and Veemon. Impmon jumped back as he raised his right hand, summoning a ball of flames on it and yelled "Badaboom!" as he threw it, exploding on one of the beasts' noses and making it yelping from the pain.

As for Veemon, he lunged beneath the beast that charged at him, then threw himself at the beast's stomach, yelling "Vee-Headbutt!" as he charged head-first in the creature's stomach, making it falter badly.

The beast attacking Impmon shook its nose frantically before charging again at the digimon. Impmon jumped on the side before punching hard on the beast's side, causing it to stumble a bit before it quickly turned to face Impmon again, growling and showing many teeth.

"Oh snap…" Impmon muttered and jumped backward just as the creature snapped right where Impmon had been standing.

As for the beast where Veemon was standing below, it swat some of its legs below in attempt to strike Veemon, forcing the blue digimon to roll away from below the eight-legged beast.

As he removed himself, he looked at the creature which turned toward him, growling. It started charging toward him, just as Veemon heard another growl from behind him, and noticed another beast charging at him.

He looked back and forth at the two creatures which neared…and when they were close enough, Veemon leapt on the side,

The two creatures barely had the time to register the sudden move as they slammed right into one another and fell on the floor, a bit tangled and quite stunned.

"Well, that takes care of these two…" Veemon said, patting his two hands together.

He heard another growling and noticed another of the lupine beast that came out of…some kind of 'rip' in the air. Whatever it was…it was…_wrong_…

"Riza…" Veemon said nervously.

"Here Veemon!" Riza shouted as he pulled out a card from his pocket.  
On it there was the image of the digi-egg of Courage.  
True, when they had faced Ragnarok, and the dark beast had returned as a huge flaming dragon which burnt their digivolution cards, only Riza's digi-egg cards had been spared. Either some pure dumb luck, or Ragnarok had thought them completely useless for Riza to use them against him.  
"Digi-modify! Digi-egg of Courage, activate!"

"_Veemon, armor digivolve to…Flamedramon, the Fire of Courage!"_

As for Regan, he was still struggling hard with the lupine beast as it charged him again, but this time, Regan charged against the beast as well. As he did, he held out his right punch…which suddenly burst in flames, then as he charged even faster at the lupine beast as his flaming punch collided hard on the beast's face, it yelped loudly this time, stumbling backward as some parts of its fur had taken fire, but the creature quickly rolled down on itself to snuff out the flames. After doing so, it quickly rose and growled at Regan, who simply stared back and narrowed his gaze on the beast.

The creature howled and then leapt at him.

Regan quickly dashed low and forward before going beneath the creature and slashed upward with his claws, striking hard.

The creature let out a gurgling whine as it dropped on the floor a bit away…

But as it happened, Regan rose back and looked at the creature…

Blood was coming out from beneath it, spilling on the ground…And there was blood on Regan's claws as he looked at them.

"These aren't digimon at all…They're creatures of flesh and blood!" Regan muttered. "But from their looks…I'm starting to doubt that they would have even come intentionally…  
They seem more like predators…probably considering us as preys…"

Flamedramon held out his hands and blocked out the charge of another creature which had charged at him.

"Yeah! Good work Flamedramon!" Riza said.  
"Riza…look there!" Flamedramon said, motioning as best as possible toward the strange rip.  
Both Riza and Kylee looked at it, and were clearly confused and surprised.  
"What is that?" Riza sad.  
"That's perhaps where those things are coming from. So let's get them back there!" Kylee said.

"Impmon!" she called out.  
"Yeah?" Impmon said, answering from the air, falling down on the head of the beast that was previously pursuing him.  
"We need to get all of those monsters back in that…rip thing over there!" she shouted, pointing out at the rip.

Regan, standing some distance away from the others, overheard this, and saw the rip as well.  
He eyed the body of the creature he had just killed…  
"_Perhaps's there still something I can do with it…"_ he thought.

Noticing another creature approaching Riza and Kylee, he rushed at them.  
"_Nah. Got bigger priorities right now…"_ Regan thought again.

As Kylee and Riza were stepping back from the fight, they heard a howl behind them.  
Just as they turned to see another of the beasts rushing at them, a multi-colored energy ball flew right between them and exploded on the beast. A few moments later, Regan came through and smashed with his knee right in the beast's nose. A loud cracking noise was heard.

The creature stumbled back as it whined hashly, some blood coming out of the now broken nose.

"Yep…definitivly not a digimon…but a real creature of flesh and blood…" Regan said.

"What?" Kylee said. "That's not a digimon?"  
"Well, digimon don't bleed." Regan said, still eyeing the creature as it recovered badly from the knee strike. "But I'm starting to think they didn't wanted to be here."  
"Huh? How so?" Riza said.  
"I think they looked confused when they appeared. But then they saw us and probably considered us as some possible prey." Regan answered.  
"How can you guess all that?" Kylee asked.  
"My mind's sharper when I'm in this state. Kinda because of Lizomon being a lot clever himself." Regan said.  
"But…how did it-" Kylee started to ask.  
"We'll talk about this later." Regan interrupted. "For now, let's get those beasts back where they came from."

With that, he ran toward the creature again, ramming right in it with a shoulder strike.

Kylee quickly turned back to Impmon…who was currently doing rodeo on the beast he had landed on, holding tight, and possibly for dear life, on the beast's fur as it ran and jumped around, trying to get rid of Impmon.

"Impmon! Here's for you! Digi-modify! Power, activate!" Kylee said as she picked up and swiped a card in her D-Arc.

Impmon grinned as he briefly glowed and felt the new power within him. He then threw himself upward, but still held on the fur, then he pulled hard on it, slamming down hard with his feet on the creature's back, causing it to stumble and fall down.

Impmon quickly jumped down and started running toward the strange rip. The creature shook itself before eyeing Impmon again, then rushed at him, growling.

"Hey Kylee!" Impmon yelled at his Tamer. She saw him and nodded while pulling out another card.

As the beast neared, she swiped the new card in her D-Arc.

"Digi-Modify! Hi-Speed Plug-In B!" she said while swiping the card.

Impmon grinned again when the creature neared. It opened its maw when it was nearly close…

Then Impmon sudddenly moved sideways with increased speed and moved behind the beast as it passed right next to him. As the beast was nearly behind him, Impmon turned and delivered a hard enhanced punch into the beast's backside, pushing it in the rip.

"And in you go!" he yelled. "That takes care of one!" he added was patting his hands.

Another beast suddenly flew right, right above Impmon, as he felt the wind current from the screaming beast as it 'entered' the rip as well.

Eyes wide with some 'certain' panic, Impmon turned toward where the beast had been launched from : Flamedramon.

"You idiot! You could have gotten me with that monster! What the hell did you tried to do? A 'monster' strike?!?" Impmon yelled, one fist raised, at Flamedramon.

"You should have simply moved out of the way instead of gloating Impmon." Flamedramon said with a sigh and eyes rolling.

"And instead of arguing, look behind you Flamedramon!" Regan suddenly yelled, still dealing with the other creature to whom he had broken its nose.

Flamedramon quickly turned himself and saw another of the beasts rushing at him. Reacting quickly, he leapt into the air before bursting in flames.

"Fire Rocket!" he shouted as he rocketed down in flames toward the beast, and impacted hard on it. The beast widly whined from the strike.

Dropping down from the beast, Flamedramon took it by the tail before starting to spin on himself, making a 'hammer throw' with the beast.

"This time, get out of the way Impmon!" Flamedramon warned.  
Impmon didn't wasted time on that one. As he ran out of the way quickly thanks to the card's effect, Flamedramon threw the wailing beast toward the rip as well.

Aside from the one Regan had killed, only one was still left. The one with the broken nose, that Regan was dealing with.

Rolling madly on the floor, both Regan and the last beast held out hard before Regan kicked out at the beast, pushing himself away from it.

The creature quickly rose, its green eyes fixed on Regan. Regan kept his gaze on the beast as well, charging energy in his right hand.

He then briefly looked on the side and nodded.

"Badaboom!" Impmon yelled, throwing an empowered fireball that exploded on the beast's left side.

"Flame Fist!" Flamedramon shouted, throwing out several more flaming balls.  
Regan held out his hand before he threw his own energy projectile.

Distracted by the first attack, the beast was easily struck by both Regan and Flamedramon's attacks. It yelled loudly before collapsing on the ground.

"Flamedramon, throw him away!" Riza said.  
"No need to say that twice." Flamedramon said as he ran up to the badly beaten creature and threw him in the same fashion than the previous two.

The beast went flying into the rip as well, following the same path than the others, and finally going back to where it came from…

Regan breathed easier, but his appearance didn't changed…yet.

He walked toward the rip, standing some distance of it and kept his eyes on it.

"Hey Regan, is that a way to greet some friends by ignoring them?" Riza said as he watched Regan and called to him after that the Digidestined had started looking at the rip.

"Oh, sorry." Regan said, turning a bit toward them, eyes looking down. "I was really wondering from where those beasts could come from, and also, why they came here…"

"Well…nice to see you again Regan…but what happened to you? How can you be like that?" Kylee said, her wondering gaze fixed on Regan's different appearance.

Rega sighed and closed his eyes for a while before opening them, clearly hesitant. "Oh…well…that's-"

The loud sound of an explosion suddenly interrupted them as an the ground breifly shook…

But the source of the shaking was coming from the rip…

Regan, Riza, Kylee, Impmon and Flamedramon quickly looked at the rip which was still fluctuating…

A large mass was suddenly seen in the rip itself before…  
It got _thrown_ out of the rip and crashed right into the midst of the Tamers, Digimon and Regan.

It was another of the same eight-legged, gray furred, green eyed wolf beasts they had just been fighting…but this one was way much bigger.

While all of the others were around the size of a human, albeit smaller, this one was twice bigger and taller than the normal variant.

"What the heck is that one?" Kylee said, uncertain.  
"I think it's the pack's leader…  
Seems we stirred up a whole pack, and now it's the leader who's here…" Regan said.  
"Hey, did you saw how he came in?" Impmon said. "It looks like something just threw him through the rip. He probably didn't came here on purpose."  
"I know that was obvious." Regan replied to Impmon.

The large beast rose up before eyeing the children and the digimon, before it unleashed a very loud howl.

It then crouched before charging the Tamers, digimon and Regan. All of them readied themselves, Regan, Flamedramon and Impmon moving in front of Kylee and Riza.

But…at midway distance from approaching them, something suddenly moved in the way of the large leader beast.

It swiftly move and struck the large beast at one of its front legs, causing it to collapse on the ground.

And the figure quickly moved itself away from the beast when it fell on the ground.

Huffing, it stood some distance from Regan and the others…

Though its features couldn't be seen…it was a bit smaller than Regan…and was wearing Regan's cloak.

Regan looked dumbfounded seeing the girl wearing his cloak having come to aid them. "W-What are you doing?!? You know we weren't supposed to-"  
"I know…" the girl replied sadly. "I didn't really wanted to…But I couldn't really stand and do nothing while I knew I could help…  
Sorry Regan…"

"Hey wait a minute…" Riza muttered to Kylee. "Did you heard that voice?"  
"Yeah…" Kylee said, nodding to Riza. "That girl's voice…it sounded familiar…"  
"But where did we heard it?" Riza asked.  
"I'm not sure…" Kylee answered. "But it's obvious she's a friend of Regan…"  
"But…does she has the same thing than Regan?" Riza said.  
"You mean…being somehow…half digimon, half human?" Kylee said.

The large pack leader beast rose again, its gaze focused on the girl who had caused him harm.

It soon readied itself to attack again…  
But as it started stepping forward…

It suddenly cringed and started howling in pain…in massive pain.

"Huh? What the hell's wrong with it?" Impmon said, confused.  
"I have no idea…" Flamedramon said, as confused as Impmon.  
Regan too was confused, and so was the cloaked girl…but she suddenly shivered breifly.

The creature continued to scream widly…  
Then darkness started to spread on the beast…

First the tail's end turned completely black, the darkness flowing from the end to the creature's body.

But as it happened, the tail started changing…It became longuer, and more reptilian, ending up with a large spike.

The darkness continued to flow over the creature, covering the beast's hind legs, further transforming it as the muscles on it increased, becoming even more powerful. The fur started to harden to some point, but two large spikes, one on each sides of the beast, appeared.

The Tamers, their digimon, Regan and the unknown girl simply continued to watch as the creature continued to scream widly.

The darkness flowed on the creature's front legs, transforming them as well, similarly to the hind legs, then it started covering the neck, and up to the head as the poor creature unleashed a pitiful wailing howl.

As the darkness attained the mouth, the howl increased a hundredfold for a breif moment. The fur thicked on all of the body, the beast's eyes closed themselves.  
A large pair of horns suddenly sprouted from the sides of the head, twisting forward. The beast's fang increased in size, two large one appearing where the canines were.

The beast's claws also increased in side, doubling in length, and probably…in efficiency as well…as the beast itself even increased in size…now three times the size of a human.

The blackened beast's head hung low for a while…then it suddenly rose up, and it's eyes opened, now glowing blood red…  
The creature showed its fangs, green saliva now dripping from the maw, and as it fell on the ground, a breif hissing could be heard, as the saliva breifly bore through the ground, seemingly like a potent acid.

"W-W-What happened to it?" Kylee said, fear creeping in her.  
"It looks like its possessed…" Regan said uncertainly. He too looked uncertain and clearely worried, perhaps even scared himself.  
The large beast unleashed a large roar before charging rapidly at the digimon, Regan and the cloaked girl.

It raised on of its paws before throwing it down toward them. Impmon, Flamedramon, Regan and the cloaked girl all jumped out of the way, as the large paw slammed in the ground, crushing the concrete easily.

The dark beast looked around before it noticed Regan nearly. It growled heavily as Regan kept himself half-crouched.

It charged toward him, roaring loudly as it did so.

But as he approached him, Flamedramon ran toward the beast, bursting in flames as he launched himself again the dark beast. "Fire Rocket!" he yelled.

He impacted hard on the dark monster, causing it to yell in pain and half-stop in it's charge.

Regan then noticed the cloaked girl leaping on top of the dark beast before it quickly slammed down a hardly noticable hand in the beast's back.  
The beast roared loudly before it started shaking itself like a wet dog, throwing the girl off-balance and sending her away, but as she fell, she managed to twist herself to land on her feet.

But as soon as she touched the ground, the dark beast charged at her now.

Regan quickly ran after the dark beast, just as Impmon threw an enhanced fire ball at the beast, yelling "Badaboom!" as he did. The ball struck on the side of the beast, making it breifly roar, but it continued its charge against the cloaked girl.

The large beast opened up its maw as it neared the girl, who simply stood immobile, then lunged forward, seeking to eat the girl.  
But she nimbfully moved herself out of the beast's way before making a quick slashing move at the beast's 'cheek' with her hand…and left five small blood lines on the beast.

But as the creature started turning to face her, Regan struck it on the other side of the face with a flame charging punch of his. The beast let another annoyed roar before turning its head at Regan.

"Fire Rocket!" Flamedramon shouted as he threw multiple flame balls at the beast, striking it near the left ear, and one of his fire ball struck the beast in the eye.

The dark beast reared its head up in the air, roaring loudly in more pain.  
"Nice shot Flamedramon!" Regan said.  
"But does it really do that much damage on that monster? It's different now. A lot different…" the cloaked girl said, running up to Regan, Impmon and Flamedramon.  
"Whatever the hell it is, we don't care." Impmon said. "We'll just have to beat it out like the others."  
Regan simply eyed the impish digimon hardly.

"Move!" the cloaked girl shouted as the dark beast stomped the ground near them, before trying to eat them.  
Both digimon along with Regan and the cloaked girl quickly jumped out of the monster's way, each one going in different directions.

Further away, Kylee and Riza continued to watch the fight. It was really hard to guess who really was having the advantage right now. The darkness enhanced beast seemed easily able to rival all four of its enemies together.

"_I'm sure we heard that girl's voice somewhere…but where?"_ Kylee thought.

The dark beast lunged to snap out at Flamedramon while it swung another of its paws to strike out Impmon. Fortunately, both jumped out of the way.

Regan crouched before leaping on the top of the beast's head, then he stabbed his claws in the beast.

The large beast roared again in pain before shaking itself and throwing Regan back on the ground, who quickly righted himself.

Growling more, green acid saliva dripping once more, the dark beast eyed Regan heavily. It roared, opening its maw wide…before something _moved_ deep within the mouth…

Suddenly, a large 'mass' of blackness, first shaped like dark tendrils followed by a ball, poured out of the beast's maw, lunging at Regan.

But just as Regan started to step back in surprise, the cloaked girl quickly ran up to the beast and leapt at it before slamming a fist right in the ball of darkness itself as it was starting to leave the beast's mouth.

A sudden and terrible shriek was heard before the ball exploded, unleashing a shockwave that threw everyone backward.

As Regan slammed several times on the ground before he managed to raise again, he saw the large beast wailing madly in pain, shaking…before it collapsed on the ground.

Silence reigned around before a few moments later, the dark beast suddenly vanished, its body turning into fading black smoke.

Regan, eyeing the spot where the beast had been, was dumbfounded. He went up to the girl with his cloak and helped her raise. "Are you okay? What did you do on it?" Regan asked worringly.

"I'm fine…But I think I must have struck that 'thing''s core…

I think it wanted to…take another host…you…" the girl answered hesitantly.

A sick look came on Regan's face after he heard what the girl said. "Well, thanks a lot for your action. I certainly wouldn't want to become that monster." He said, smiling at the girl.

"Okay…so now that's it's over, can we know what's going on?" Kylee said, coming with Impmon, along with Riza, and Veemon.  
"Yeah, and who's that girl with you Regan? And also, why are you like this?" Riza added.  
"Well…" Regan started, clearely hesistant as he rubbed the back of his head with a hand.  
"I think we're not all done." The girl said, looking toward the rip…which was still there.  
Regan looked at it and sighed. "Great…That thing still ain't gone."  
"Well, perhaps we could try to close it?" the girl said.  
Regan crossed his arms, thinking. "Do you think that with our digivices-"  
"Watch out!" the cloaked girl suddenly screamed and pushed Regan out of the way.

Right as she pushed Regan down, another eight-legged, grey furred lupine beast leapt in the air where Regan had been…but that beast's belly was marked red, some blood spilling out.

The one that Regan had thought he had killed…

As both were falling on the floor, and the Tamers and their digimon reacting to the sudden action, the girl threw one foot upward, striking and pushing the wounded beast toward the rip.

As the beast was thrown toward the rip, a voice was suddenly heard, shouting something near-impossible to understand.

A large explosion suddenly ripped out of the 'rip' as the wounded beast was caught in it, whining before it ceased screaming.

Everyone threw himself down to cover against the blast…though a large array of colors were flying everywhere from the rip…

As the explosion ceased and silence finally came again, Regan lifted his head, looking up…

And he saw that the rip in reality had vanished…probably destroyed by the explosion.  
Regan sighed in relief and smiled a bit.

He noticed the others were rising up as well.  
"Well…it's ov-" he started, but Kylee suddenly gasped.  
Regan quickly looked at her, wondering what was wrong…until he saw where she was looking at…

At the girl who had been accompanying Regan.  
His cloak that had been covering her had been thrown some little distance away during the explosion…

"That's…that's…impossible!!!" Kylee said, eyes wide as she stared at the girl.  
When Riza, Veemon and Impmon looked at the girl as well…they too were extremly surprised.

"It can't be…" Riza said.

Both Regan and her were far more uncertain now.

She was wearing yellow shorts with a tank top whose bottom half was white while the upper half was pink. She also had pink and white shoes, along with light brown hairs which were slightly shoulder length, though a hairclip in her hairs prevented parts of them to fall in her face. And with that, she had ruby colored eyes.

"Kari Kamiya!!!" the two Tamers and their digimon shouted at once, all of them very astonished.

Yet, at the same time they discovered the girl's identity, they noticed some odd details that Kari had.

She had cat ears, much like Gatomon's ears. Along with that, instead of having the long pink gloves she usually had, she was wearing short green gloves that were much similar to Gatomon's, though those gloves were shaped for a five fingered hand…though claws were coming out of the gloves' finger ends.  
Along with that, slightly twisting behing her, Kari had a long cat tail which was very much like Gatomon's tail.

"W-W-What's wrong with you two?!?" Kylee said, pointing at Regan and Kari, her hand shaking, her face having much surprise visible on it.

Kari looked away from the Tamers and their digimon, sadness visible on her face.  
But then it was Regan who approached her, having taken his cloak again, though he still had his 'Lizomon parts' on him.  
"Kari…why did you do this? You told me that I shouldn't but I had already done, while you…" Regan said, leaving his sentence unfinished.  
Kari looked down sadly. "I know…and I think it's soon over…" she said.

Suddenly her eyes widened and the cat ears, green gloves, and the cat tail started glowing…before they dissasembled themselves into data and breifly flowed around Kari as her normal gloves and ears were visible again. The data flowed before being seemingly sucked into an odd watch she was wearing on her left wrist.

A watch that looked exactly like Regan's digivice-watch, only that Kari's was colored in the fashion of her D-3…

And just as the last bit of data vanished within the digivice…Kari started falling down, and was caught by Regan.

All of this before the Tamers and the digimon's very eyes…

But when Regan grabbed her, she started shaking breifly, as if she was having spasms of some sorts. Her pupils were oddly small, as her eyes seemed to display an extremly large amount of pain.

Kylee, Riza, Impmon and Veemon simply stared wide eyed at what was happening right in front of them.

Regan simply looked at them nearly as if they were strangers.  
"We really don't have time for this. You got no idea what's wrong…" Regan said with comtempt to the Tamers and their digimon.

He quickly, yet gently picked up Kari in his arms before suddenly running away and out of the courtyard before jumping on one of the outside walls, then jumping away.

Kylee, Riza, Impmon and Veemon simply looked toward where Regan had run away, all of them in pure shock.

"What happened to them? What's wrong?" Kylee muttered.  
"I have no idea…But it can't be good…" Riza said, still as shocked as Kylee.

---

The door of the appartment that Regan and Lizomon had been using last time as a hideout in an abandonned building suddenly flung open as Regan entered inside, still carrying Kari who still looked extremly pained. As he entered, he quickly closed the door with his tail.

He went up to the couch and gently put Kari on it. For a little while, she simply continued to breifly shake before looking at Regan, pain and sadness much visible in her eyes.

Regan took one of her hand for a while, gazing at her with eyes that showed as much uncertainity and sadness as her, before he let go of Kari and walked into the next room, where there once was a living room.

He walked up to the table that had been put by Lizomon's work before he closed his eyes.  
The horns, tail, and clawed hands glowed before dissasembling in data and flowed around Regan as the modified parts of his body returned to normal.

And soon after that the last bit of data flowed into his digivice, he suddenly fell on his knees, holding one of sides with one of his hands, gritting his teeth as he seemed in a large amount of pain.

He shook for a while…before it ceased, and he slowly rose, still holding a hand to his chest, breathing tiredly.  
Regan let himself drop on a chair as he gazed uncertainly at the large window outside.  
He then heard Kari screaming in pain. Regan closed his eyes, seemingly pained to hear Kari scream…

As she screamed again…Regan started sobbing and crying, burying his head in his hands…


	3. Fiction and reality

"_In the admiration of a fiction, we do little to truly understand it as we often want to twist it in ways we desire…_

But what if the fiction is real?  
How can what we thought was only a product of our imagination, and that is now real…How will it react to us and what we first believed?"

**Chapter 3 : Fiction and reality**

"_The authorities have reported no new information concerning those mysterious monsters that suddenly appeared at Pheonix High School's courtyard. And as long as their investigation is finished, the school has been temporarily closed-"_

Kylee turned off the television with the remote, annoyance and worriness displaying in her face.

It was now late in the day but right now, the situation was not really simple, and much troubling.

---

"_How can Regan be here again?" Kylee asked as she, Impmon, Riza and Veemon were walking away from the courtyard. All of them had decided to leave before the authorities would come. They didn't want to answer any possible questions, especially since it may force them into revealing Regan's existence…and Kari's…  
"Like if we could know." Impmon said. "But if he's back, why isn't Lizomon with him?"  
"And instead, it's Kari that's with him." Riza said. "It doesn't make sense."  
"Yeah, and why did Regan was so weird with us?" Veemon asked.  
"I don't know…but what both he and Kari had was really weird…you saw what happened to Kari when it was over?" Riza said…_

---

Both Tamers had decided to go find Regan on the next day, the current situation of today giving some problems with that. Plus, finding Regan may not be an easy task.

As Kylee lied in her bed, she gazed at the ceiling, many thoughts in her mind.  
"_Regan…where are you? What happened to you and Kari? Why are you here again?"_  
As those thoughts continued to wander in her mind, she suddenly shivered, not due to a sudden cold, but to a sudden realization, a terrible, dreaded possibility…  
"_Is it starting again?  
Has everything we did been for nothing?"_

---

"Come on Impmon! We gotta hurry!"  
"Geez, wait up Kylee!"

The next morning had been…'unusual'…  
Considering that Kylee had woke up quite soon in the morning and hurried to dress, eat breakfeast, and then go outside to meet up with Riza. Impmon had nearly been dragged along the way, and the fact he had been a bit slow.

Right now though, both she and Impmon were running toward the park, and Impmon had some troubles keeping up with his Tamer.

"Kylee, aren't you going to stop?!?" Impmon yelled.

And she did just that…though Impmon didn't managed to quickly react…and smacked right in Kylee's legs, nearly sending his Tamer down….though she soon fell down a few seconds later, obviously failing to catch her balance.

"Ow, Impmon! Why you have to be so slow?" Kylee nearly shouted at her partner, both of them still on the ground.  
"Hey Kylee, I'm not the one going over clocking! And what the hell's wrong with you anyway? I've never seen you act like that!" Impmon said harshly to his Tamer.  
"Uh…" Kylee remained stunned for a while.

Impmon was true. She had been acting unusual. She looked down, clearly worried.

"I'm worried for Regan….something really seems wrong in all of this…  
And…" Kylee said, tightening one fist, which started to shake.  
"What if everything's starting again? What if we didn't manage to destroy Ragnaok?"

Impmon remained slightly open-mouthed for a while. "That's what you were worried about? Why didn't you said so?!?" he said.  
"But honestly though…I don't really think that Ragnarok survived. Whatever trouble there is, it's something else.

You're right about Regan needing our help…but if we overdo it, if we really go careless on that one, who knows if we won't make it worse?" Impmon added, calming himself a bit.

Kylee remained silent, looking down as she remained in a sitting position.

"You're right Impmon…I think I was overdoing it…and I that I was really scared…  
Sorry…I didn't really used my head a lot right now…" she said.

"Like if you're using it often." Impmon said with a sly smile on the face, looking mockingly aside.

"What was that about?!?" Kylee yelled to her partner angrily.

Fortunately, a stomping sound interrupted them before the arguing could escalate further.  
Raidramon stopped right near them, Riza on his back.  
"Hey guys, sorry that I've been a bit late, but I guess it would help to come with Raidramon." Riza said.  
"No you're fine…I just hurried too much…" Kylee said.  
"Anyway, let's go to find Regan's hiding place. Who knows where he could be?" Impmon said.  
"Honestly, I think he must have gone back to that hideout he used the first time. But there's still a problem…" Riza said.  
"Yeah…we always came there through the air, never from the ground. It may be a bit tricky to find it" Raidramon added.  
"Even then, we have to find him. He needs us more than he probably admitted." Kylee said, determination returning in her eyes.  
Riza nodded before giving down a hand to Kylee so to help her climb on Raidramon while Impmon simply hopped behind her.  
Right after, Raidramon soon turned and ran away.  
"So…we have to search for some old building right?" Riza said while holding on the running Raidramon.  
"Yeah. That's where Regan and Lizomon had made their hideout last time. He's probably there with…Kari…" she finished, hesitating on her last word.  
"I still can't believe that she's here with Regan…" Riza half-muttered.  
"Yeah…" Kylee weakly answered.

"_But what if their hideout vanished when everything seemed to have returned to normal?"_ Kylee thought.  
"…_Well…I guess we'll just have to find out…"_

---

Regan slowly opened his eyes…and realized he had somehow fallen asleep, still sitting at the table…

"Ow…definitively not the best way to sleep…" Regan muttered as he slowly rose from the chair, holding a hand to his forehead.

He turned around, toward the couch to see Kari still sleeping…at least that's how she looked like.

He went up to her, and slowly took her hand to check on her pulse. Perfectly normal.  
Sighing, Regan kneeled down to a closer level to Kari before putting a hand on her cheek, still uncertain, still troubled.

As he did, she stirred, her eyes slowly fluttering open. "Regan?" she spoke tiredly.

"Yeah…it's me…" Regan said, though there was some discouragement in his tone.  
The look in Kari's eyes also turned sadder. "And I hoped this was all a bad dream…" she muttered sadly.

Regan sighed again before rising up and walking to the other side of the couch before sitting near her feet. "So do I…" he replied darkly, looking down.

Kari stirred more, and finally rose up, sitting on the couch, slightly holding her head.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Regan asked worryingly.  
"I'll be fine…" Kari replied.

For a moment, both Digidestineds remained silent.

"Let's see if there's still some food here…" Regan said after a while and raising up. He went up to the 'kitchen' to see if there was anything left…that was still eatable that is…

In opening the refrigerator, he found a bag of bread…  
He remembered that last time, with Lizomon, he hadn't finished that exactly same bag…

But even if it would have been left in the refrigerator for a long amount of time, surely the bread would have been in a worse state.  
But it looked as if it had only been yesterday that the bread had been in the refrigerator. How could that be possible?

Had only a few days passed since he had left this world?  
That wasn't possible, since it wasn't consistent with the claw marks from Lizomon that still remained in the tree in the park. He remembered that Lizomon had unintentionally left them on the branches. And from their looks, it seemed that it had been a few months since Regan had left this world and destroyed Ragnarok.  
So how can the bread be seemingly 'intact'?

He took it out from the refrigerator, and after a close and careful inspection of one slice, he could be confident the bread was normal…though that was definitively suspicious. It was doubtful that Kylee and Riza would have stayed in here some times. They were the only ones that knew of the place anyway, and even then, they couldn't be completely sure of where to find the building, since they had always been brought here from the air thanks to Lizomon.

At least the water from the tap was still working, and there wasn't too much to worry about it.

"Found something." Regan finally said to Kari. "But it'll only be good for this time."

A while later, after eating whatever remained of the bread and took some drink of water, Kari seemed ready to ask for some explanations.

"I don't understand Regan. You seem to know about where we are, so…where are we, really?" Kari said, still sitting on the couch.

Regan, sitting on the other side of the couch, sighed again before looking at Kari. He knew she was going to get a hard one. "Like I said yesterday, we're in the Real World…but not ours. It's another Real World…

And one in which your adventures in the Digital World, along with those of the other seven Digidestineds, are known as a TV show. That includes what happened with the Digimon Emperor and later on, MaloMyotismon." Regan explained.

Kari's look in her face definitively went bad. "You can't be serious…" she said, a very worried expression visible on her face.

"I am…" Regan replied, directly staring at her. "And I know what you must feel about it…"

"No…" Kari said. "You can't…really…" she added, crestfallen, discouraged.  
"But at least I can understand some of it!" Regan said, exasperated and raising up from the couch.

---

Meanwhile, Raidramon and its riders had finally located the building they were looking for.

"That's definitively that one." Kylee said, pointing at it.  
"Okay. Now let's find Regan and Kari." Riza said as he climbed down from Raidramon, soon imitated by Kylee and Impmon before Raidramon de-digivolved to Veemon.  
All of them soon went inside the building then started climbing the creaking stairs that were leading up, and hopefully, to the rooms Regan was using.

---

Both Regan and Kari heard the noise. Regan's eyes narrowed as he eyed the door. "Go hide Kari." Regan said as he rose and walked up to the door, his digivice glowing before data poured out of it and stuck itself on Regan's hands, back and sides of his head, adding up the 'Lizomon parts' once more.

Kari remained unsure, halfway standing up.

"Do it…" Regan insisted.

Unsure, Kari still nodded before going behind the corner of that lead to the bedroom.

Regan remained on the blind side of the door, one clawed hand raised and ready.

After a while, the door opened, Kylee entering the room. "Regan? Are y-"

Her words were suddenly interrupted short as claws were suddenly held right in front of her, a few inches to her neck, Regan filling most of Kylee's view.

Riza and the digimon simply remained unmoving, obviously panicked, and unsure what to do. One possibly wrong move…and Kylee could pay it…if Regan wasn't friendly anymore…

As for Kylee, she simply remained unmoving, scared and completely unsure what to do as she simply stared helplessly at Regan.

Regan stared at her for a while before lowering his hand. "You again..." he said. The 'Lizomon parts' glowed before vanishing, absorbed in Regan's digivice again. As the last bit of data vanished, Regan's right hand briefly shook before Regan tightened his hand in a closed fist.

Kylee did notice the hand shaking, though she was still much shocked from what just happened.  
Regan sighed before he lowered his head a bit, his expression discouraged. "Well...come on in..." Regan said weakly as he turned away, going back for the couch.

Kylee soon started to slowly walk in the apartment, followed hesitantly by Impmon, Riza and Veemon.

But as soon as they entered inside the appartment, they saw Kari peek out from the corner, looking worryingly at who it was.  
And as soon as they saw her, both Tamers and and digimon breifly stopped, half-stunned again to see Kari.  
Kari didn't really react well to that, being even more unsure.

Regan, standing between both the Tamers and Kari, sighed and looked down, unpleased.

"I think we'll really need to talk here…Come on everyone…" Regan said.

Kari, eyes cast aside and looking down, nodded a bit and finally came from the corner of the wall to sit on the couch, not looking at Kylee or Riza.

Once again, for a while, everyone was much silent. Until Kylee cleared out her throat.

"So…ehm…" she started. "How did you got here? And where are Lizomon and Gatomon? What happened with them?" she suddenly added.

"Kylee…that may be too much for them…" Riza said.  
"Oh…sorry guys…" Kylee said.  
"It's okay…" Regan mumbled. "…As for how we got here…we don't know…just as we don't know where our digimon partners are…or what could have happened to them…"  
"All we know is that we were attacked, but right after that digimon used some special attack, Lizomon did something. I heard him shout 'Eject!'…but I wonder if he had actually said that to Gatomon…" Kari added, looking down and still worried.

Hearing her speak made Kylee and the others feel…a bit excited…  
Kari Kamiya…one of the Digidestineds from the show…she was talking to them…more or less though…

"But, hem…Regan, Kari…what's wrong with you two? I mean…your bodies?  
How could you change like that?" Riza asked.

Kari looked troubled again, and Regan looked a bit down and away from the Tamers as well.  
"Let's just say…that it was something that…involved…Ragnarok…

And also…that injection of Digimon data in a human body isn't exactly…healthy…" Regan said hesitantly, and sourly.

"It's not like we wanted that to happen to us…We don't like this at all…  
But that's the best thing 'someone' managed to do for us…. Kari added sourly.  
Regan chuckled darkly, with a slightly unnerving smile. "Besides…that was better than the alternative…"  
"Hem…and that alternative…it was…?" Veemon asked, unsure if he wanted to know the answer.  
"Death…" Regan said grimly, the smile completely fading off his face.

The Tamers and digimon looked even more worried before looking at each others. Riza motioned them to move a bit away.

Taking one glance at Regan and Kari, who seemed rather absorbed by their bad thoughts, Kylee turned to Riza and the digimon.

"So…what now?" Riza whispered.  
"They're really aren't fine…but what's wrong with them?" Kylee whispered.  
"I hope it wasn't because of me asking them about that alternative…" Veemon whispered with a sad face.  
"Nah." Impmon whispered, arms crossed. "It's something else. I think we should try to change off their moods by talking about something else. Any ideas?"

Kylee looked dubtious as she thought, then a slight hesitant and mischevious smile crossed on her face. "I wonder…" she muttered.

She turned back to Kari and Regan, imitated by the others. "Hey…Kari?"

Kari looked at her, some sadness visible in her face, yet curious about what that girl wanted to ask her. "Yes?" she said.

Kylee was hesitant, unsure yet so tempted to ask that question. "Hum…well…Who do you like. Davis or TK?" she asked.

Kari's cheek turned pink as she looked surprised…but immediately after, she looked away…and was looking even sadder and troubled…and even seemed ready to cry…

"You…" Regan had raised himself so quickly, eyeing Kylee.

"IDIOTS!"

*SMACK*

Regan struck each and every of the Tamers and their digimon in their face, knocking them on the ground.

Kylee shook her head and put a hand on her cheek, where Regan had struck her, then eyed him in shock.

Regan was eyeing her hardly, his right hand tightened hard in a fist which was shaking with rage.

"Have you any idea of what you've said?!?" Regan yelled. "You just didn't understand anything at all of what Lizomon once said to you!!!

THE SHOW IS REAL!!! Damnit! You didn't have gotten that in your heads or were they really thick that day?!?" Regan added, still yelling at them, his anger clearly visible.

The Tamers were just purely shocked, along with their digimon.

"If the show is real…then so are the 'fictional' characters...  
And that means, they're humans, just like you and me. They have feelings, lives and things they want to keep to themselves." Regan continued, still very angered, but seemed to have calmed down…a bit…

"How do you think Kari has reacted when she discovered about the existence of other realities, other Real Worlds, in which, everything she did in the Digital World, everything she, her brother, her friends, is known as a simple television show here, and possibly in other realities?!?" Regan shouted again.

"How would _you_ feel if you would have suddenly discovered, that a critical part of your live have been somehow, and suddenly known by hundred, perhaps even thousands of people?!? Hell, perhaps even millions!" Regan added, much angered, as he pointed to Kylee, Riza and their digimon.

Behind Regan, Kari started crying, burying her face in her hands.

Regan lowered his hand…and both of his hands tightened hard…as he looked down toward his feet, eyes closed…and some tears coming out of them…

"That's how she's feeling…and worse…  
She's now in a world in which she was nothing more than a fiction.  
Now, it's reality." Regan said more 'calmly'.

He opened his wet eyes and turned back to Kari, coming to sit besides her on the couch.  
Regan hesitantly put his hands on Kari's shoulders before she stopped crying to look at him with clearly wet eyes as well.

She clutched him tight as she sobbed on him, Regan hesitantly hugging her, himself still being sad.

While that happened, Kylee, Riza, Veemon and Impmon simply watched all of this silently, and surprised.

"We've been jerks…"

Kari and Regan briefly stopped before they slightly looked toward the Tamers, to see Kylee, having fallen on her knees, eyes closed hardly, as tears were slowly coming out of her own eyes.

"I'm sure the others were probably thinking like I did when I asked that…  
But we've been so idiots…real jerks…  
We hadn't really thought it would really have mattered to you…Kari…  
But…how could I said that to you?!?" she said, opening her eyes, and glaring hardly at Regan and Kari, with tears in her eyes.

If Kylee seemed angered to a point…it was obvious that she wasn't angry at Regan or Kari…but after herself for having said what she had asked to Kari…

"You're human beings! Just like us!" she yelled then fell on her hands, head low.

Riza, shocked, gently put one knee down, putting one hand on Kylee's shoulder while Impmon was looking really worryingly at his partner, knowing she had spoken much of the truth, no matter how hard it was.

"Yeah…you two are human beings…even if you got…those 'weird things'…" Impmon said.  
"Come on Kylee…" Riza said. "I think we should go. We don't deserve to be here…"

"No…"

Kylee, Riza and their digimon suddenly looked at the one who spoke that word : Kari.

She looked at them, tears still in her eyes; she seemed to have managed to regain herself to some point.

"Please…don't go…  
I don't want that we should be alone…" she added, removing herself from Regan's grip and now having brought her legs close to herself, hugging them tightly.

Regan looked down, his saddened expression speaking much of what he thought on that subject.

"Well…now that you're asking for it…" Impmon said.  
"You really want us to stay?" Kylee said, looking uncertainly at Kari.  
"You're human beings too. You can't know everything, least know how someone else can feel…" Kari answered, her eyes half-closed as she started to dry off her tears.  
"Yeah, please stay with us, at least for a while." Regan said, drying off his own tears.  
"You know, I haven't gotten your names yet." Kari said.

"Oh, sorry Kari…" Kylee said as she finally rose up, wiping off what remained of her tears. "I'm Kylee Henke. Phoenix City's best Tamer, along with Impmon!" she said, going back a bit more on her usual tone.  
"And I'm Riza Ryuzaki. Veemon's my partner, and I'm Kylee best friend along with being Pheonix City's second best Digimon Tamer."  
"And you can be sure you won't get the first rank as long as we're there!" Impmon said, raising a fist in the air at Riza.  
"Oh yeah? One day we'll beat you Kylee." Riza added.  
"Well, you're free to try anytime." Kylee said with a smile.

"You two sure looks like good friends." Kari said, a smile coming on her face.  
"Uh well…" Kylee started as both Digidestineds looked at her, hints of blushing coming in their faces. "We're just childhood friends."  
"Oh, I see." Kari said. Even though she was smiling somewhat, her heart wasn't truly doing so.  
"Oh sure." Impmon said. "You two are always sharing lunches together at school."

That sentence got Impmon rewarded with two punches on his head.  
"Shut up Impmon." Kylee said, with her punch still above Impmon's head.  
"Yeah, it's always because of you." Riza added, with his own punch above Impmon as well.  
"You know, it reminds me that L-" Kari started, and then stopped, eyeing Regan worryingly.  
"Yeah, Lizomon." Regan said grimly. "He's often been annoying the two of us, a bit like Impmon does with you two, Kylee and Riza."

The true reason though that had made Kari stopped was about having mentioned Lizomon, and thus, reminding everyone around about both Gatomon and Lizomon's unknown fates. Of course, Regan hadn't failed to notice that.

"What are you two gonna do now?" Veemon asked.  
"We're not sure…" Kari said, looking a bit down, waved her feet a bit.  
"It's obvious we'll need to try to find a way to get back to the Digital World, and find our digimon." Regan said. "But since it seems we're going to be stuck here for a while…Why don't you tell us about you two? I'd like to know about what happened in this world.

I've noticed something ever since I got back here.  
How is that possible that everything seemed to have changed as if nothing happened at all?" Regan asked.

"Hum well…your guess is as good as ours…" Riza said, rubbing a hand behind his head.  
"What do you mean Regan? What happened with you in this world anyway?" Kari asked.

That surprised the Tamers and their digimon a bit. "You mean you don't know what happened here?" Kylee asked to Kari. "I thought Regan would have told you since he would probably explain why he was gone for a time."

"Actually…we had thought him dead…  
But apparently, he lied, saying he didn't remember what happened when we thought him gone." Kari replied, eyeing Regan.  
"Why…Why Regan?" Kylee said.  
Regan rose and walked a bit away from the others, his back facing them. "I don't need to explain myself right now." He said neutrally…and a bit of pain slightly 'visible' in his tone.  
A sad frown slightly came on Kari face, as if knowing something about Regan that made what he meant understandable to her.  
"Well…since we'll be staying in this world for a while…  
Kylee, could we go shopping?" Kari asked.

"What?!? You just got stuck in another world and you wanna go shopping with another girl?" Impmon said, rather taken aback.  
"You really don't think a lot Impmon." Regan said. "She wants to go shop for new clothes and perhaps somekind of makeup or hair dye."  
"Oh, I get it. She can't really keep her looks like that. Everybody who may see her will probably think that she's either some really good cosplayer or that she's really Kari." Riza said.  
"Exactly." Kari said with a sigh. "Regan, I'll need your cloak again."  
"Sure." Regan answered as he removed his cloak and handed it to Kari.  
"So Kylee? Could you do it with me?" Kari asked.  
"Uh well, of course I will." Kylee answered.  
"What about you Regan?" Kari asked to him.  
"I'll stay here. Besides, what could I do? I'm not certainly accompanying you two. That's some girl stuff that you're going to do anyway." Regan said.  
"Fine." Kari said, putting Regan's cloak on her then putting the hood over her face. "You're ready to go Kylee?" she asked.  
"Sure." Kylee answered. "Let's go Impmon."  
"Alright…" Impmon replied as he, Kylee and Kari walked outside the apartment.  
"Well, I'll check on something elsewhere. I won't be long Regan." Riza said.  
"Okay." Regan said, sitting on the couch and leaning on it. "I have a question though. Did you or Kylee came back here while I was gone?"  
"Hum, no." Riza said. "Why?"  
"Oh, nothing…" Regan replied off-handedly.  
"Okay then." Riza said. "Let's go Veemon."  
"Right." Veemon said as he followed his partner out of the apartment.

As Regan was left alone, he closed his eyes, thinking.

If it wasn't Riza and Kylee who came into the apartment, did someone else came in?  
If not, that definitively didn't help him in wondering about how could that bread in the fridge being 'intact'.

Then…he realized something.

---

A few minutes later, Riza came back with Veemon.  
"Hey I'm back Regan…" Riza said.  
No answer.  
"Regan?" Riza said as he looked around.  
"Hey Riza, look at this." Veemon said, pointing to a note on the table.

Riza picked it up then read it.  
"Gone to the graveyard. I may be back soon.  
Regan."

"What's he going to do at a graveyard?" Veemon asked, confused.  
"I got no idea, but we should check on him." Riza said.  
"Alright."


	4. Bio Modify : Control and Evolution pt 1

"_Little are those who can truly understand the thrill of the sky. But there is no doubt that humans have sought to attain the sky, seeking to push their limits. The sky is one limit…but there is far more…_

Like what can we consider of the ability of being a digimon? Bio-Merge may be a truly unique experience…yet…what about a different case of human and digimon as one?  
But even then…with that newfound power at one's disposal…how can we truly deem ourselves being able to control it, for who shall be the master?  
You or the power?"

**Chapter 4 : Bio-Modify…Control and Evolution part 1**

After they went back to Kylee's home to get some money, Kylee and Impmon were on their way to the shops, along with their 'guest', Kari, who was still wearing Regan's cloak to hide her identity.  
She was looking a bit down, a partly sad expression visible on her face.  
"Hum Kylee…" she started.  
"What?" Kylee asked.  
"Sorry…" Kari said.  
"Sorry? Sorry for what?" Kylee asked.  
"Sorry that I cried. Because of that, Regan hit you both.  
I'm just…I don't…really know why I cried…But…even then, why you felt like asking that?" Kari said.  
"Uhhh…well…" Kylee started, unsure herself. "I kinda thought it may be a nice way to change subjects…"  
"Or perhaps you were tired of all those possible ends in the many fan fics on the net and you wanted the answer from the girl herself." Impmon said with a half grin.  
"Impmooooon!!!" Kylee yelled, bumping Impmon on the head.  
"Fan fics?" Kari said, curious.  
"Eh, well, it's nothing too serious!" Kylee said, chuckling hesitantly while Impmon was rubbing his head.  
Kari kept silent, staring at her. She wasn't buying it.  
Kylee sighed when she saw that Kari wasn't convinced. "Okay…it's just…  
Digimon has been a really popular thing. Not only there has been a show about first, you eight Digidestineds that went in the Digital World and in the end, beat Apocalymon. But there's been another season in which you and the other went back to deal with the Digimon Emperor. You may kinda expect that those that appreciated the show may have made their own fan fictions about other things, stories of their own. Even…some about couplings, like you and TK, or Tai and Sora, or…" Kylee explained.  
"I get it…" Kari said.  
"But it's not all. Kids here can even get Digimon to tame and train to fight with them." Kylee quickly added. "That's the main thing around here.  
Yeah, you could say that we Digimon Tamers are thinking of all of this much like a game, but Riza and I realized that there was more when we got to meet Regan."  
"Well, I can see that you and Riza seemed to be good friends and managed t o get through those troubles well." Kari said.

"Oh, we're just friends since childhood, nothing more." Kylee said with a smile and a tint of pink on her cheek. Then her gaze darkened as she gave a dark glare at Impmon. "But there are _some_ that keeps thinking that we're a couple."  
"What?" Impmon replied innocently.  
Kari giggled before a half-smile came on her hooded face. "Yeah, I see what you mean Kylee. Lizomon's been doing kinda the same thing with me and Regan. But we're just friends."  
"Well, maybe he's seeing more?" Impmon said.  
Once again, he received a bump from his Tamer. "Impmon! Stop that!"  
Kari sighed tiredly and the small half-smile she had faded a bit.  
"I just…I don't know what to think about…"  
"About that your adventures have been a show here?" Kylee asked.  
"Not just here. There are Digidestineds from other Real Worlds in the Digital World too. And some of them came from a Real World where everything me and the other Digidestineds did a good while ago is nothing more than a show.  
It's kinda weird…that people seem to know everything about me only because I was only…a fictional character…" Kari said, hesitating at the end.  
"Well…there's no doubt you're as real as me, Riza, and our digimon. We just kinda lost our bearings sooner." Kylee said. "After all, if you didn't really exist, then Regan wouldn't have been here before…"  
"…and Ragnarok wouldn't have been here, right?" Kari added.  
"Uh…" Kylee stopped, unsure what to say about that.

"Kylee…could you tell me what happened here when Regan came to this world? I'd like to know why he wouldn't want to tell us about it…" Kari said.  
"Oh…sure, if you want." Kylee said, some confidence returning to her as both girls and Impmon started walking again…

---

Raidramon stopped in front of the graveyard before Riza climbed down and Raidramon de-digivolved to Veemon.  
"I still don't get it. I can't understand why Regan would even come to a graveyard. If he did lose someone in his life, it wouldn't probably been here, right?" Riza said.  
"Well, maybe he can tell us when we'll find him?" Veemon asked.

Both entered the graveyard, which was a bit silent. It didn't seem like anyone had come to see anyone's grave…  
"Riza, look there." Veemon said, pointing further away.  
One lone figure was standing in front of a grave.  
"It may be him." Riza said. "Let's check."

Sure enough, when they got close enough, they saw that it was indeed Regan standing in front of a grave, head low.  
"Hum…Regan?" Riza asked when he and Veemon were close enough.  
Regan raised his head and looked at the pair. "Oh, it's you guys. Didn't thought you would have gone back to the 'hideout' sooner that I expected."  
"Hum, Regan…mind telling us what you're doing here?" Riza asked hesitantly.  
"Well…it's this…" Regan said, pointing at the grave.

"Here lies Daniel Karen…" Riza muttered as he read the tombstone. "I don't get it…"  
"Officially, from what I managed to get, this kid died a few months ago because of a car accident…and when he got hit by the car, he got impaled by a broken pole…" Regan said. "But in truth…he was killed by multiple blade slices and along with being impaled by a broken pole that had been ripped by someone else with huge strength…  
That was the Tamer whose digimon turned into SkullGreymon…"

"What? That was…" Riza said.  
"Yeah…that was him…  
And he's dead because of me…" Regan said, his head low. "Ragnarok was born because of me. He existed within me…  
All he did…it's my-"

"Get a grip Regan!" Riza yelled and suddenly struck Regan in the face, and for a moment, even Riza was shocked of what he did.  
"Ragnarok is _NOT_ you!" he said. "You and he are completely different! You're human while he's not! Even if he's born from you, that he exist because of something you did, it doesn't mean you got to take the blame for everything he did, because _it's not your fault_!

…

You could probably say…that he's your sin, your darkness, your opposite…  
That may be true…but still…it doesn't mean you should always try to think only of the past. Look and think about what you did. You brought justice to everyone that Ragnarok has harmed in the past, including yourself, me and Kylee.

You deserve to be happier now. You've done a lot, and you really deserve it…" Riza said.

Regan remained silent, slightly gazing at Riza and his fist…

---

"And so, after that we combined our strength with AtmaRyumon and all together we managed to destroy Ragnarok, though it caused a huge explosion, and Regan and Lizomon were gone after this.

But we were kinda thinking that they had finally gone back to the Digital World, and I guess that's what really happened."

Both girls and Impmon had finally entered the supermarket, looking for a clothing store.

"So, you, Riza and Regan managed to beat Ragnarok?" Kari asked.  
"Yeah, we did. Honestly, I think that Regan's coming made us think and learn a bit more about ourselves, and our friendship…and I hope that we managed to make him learn a few other things…" Kylee said.  
"Perhaps…" Kari replied. "But…there's something I don't understand…"  
"About what?" Kylee said. "This way." She then added, pointing to their right as they turned into another alley in the supermarket.  
"When Regan returned to the Digital World and that we found him…He said he didn't know if anything happened after the huge explosion that sent him into your world…and Lizomon also seemed to agree." Kari said.  
"What? You mean Regan didn't tell anything about us to you?" Kylee asked, much surprised.  
"Nothing…Absolutely nothing…" Kari said. "And for some reason, Lizomon also went with that."  
"But why would Regan hide the truth about us to you and the other Digidestineds in the Digital World?" Impmon asked.  
"I'm not sure…" Kari answered.

---

"What? Why didn't you told about us when you were back in the Digital World?" Riza asked.

At the same time that Kari and Kylee were speaking about Regan's odd acting after his return to the Digital World, so did Riza and Regan had started speaking on a similar subject…until Regan revealed he didn't spoke about Riza and Kylee to the other Digidestineds.

"…I was kinda worried about one thing…I couldn't be sure if it was a good idea to speak about you two. Perhaps if I had done so, then you may have been taken in the Digital World sooner or later…and that could have been worrying…" Regan answered.  
"But we'd be able to handle ourselves in the Digital World Regan, and we could have met you again." Riza said.  
"But would you and Kylee manage to get over the real shock? Cut off from your own world, from your home? That's what we're having right now.  
It's not like in the second season when the Digidestineds were constantly going back and forth between the Real and the Digital World.  
No, it's much like the first season." Regan answered.  
"Besides…there would have been other things that you may not have been able to handle there…" he added.

---

"What do you mean?" Kylee asked.  
"I don't know what you are thinking about how the Digital World is, Kylee. But it may be much different then what you think. It has even gone different than what it once was for us." Kari answered.  
"Huh? The Digital World changed?" Kylee asked, a bit confusedly, as she was now talking to Kari, who was in a changing room, trying off some clothes.  
"In some ways, a little bit…  
And in other ways…well…it's a radical change…" Kari answered.  
"So, how does it look? You like those?" Kylee asked after a while.  
"Not bad…but I don't know about that other skirt…" Kari said after a while.  
"Well, I thought it kinda make you look nice." Kylee said with a little smile.  
"Yeah, yeah…" Kari replied on a dubious tone from the changing room. "Are you trying to make me go out with Regan or what?"  
"Uh…" Kylee replied, looking left and right, and feeling a bit uncomfortable. Along with that, Impmon was helpless to hold his snickering.  
"Cut it out Impmon…" Kylee said, glaring at her partner.  
"Hey, I haven't done anything…for once…" Impmon said, raising his hands as a large grin came on his face and he closed his eyes a bit along with slightly looking away.  
"You know what…you should get a few new things too Kylee. Wouldn't you like to please Riza a bit?" Kari suddenly said with a playful tone.  
"Huh?!?" Kylee replied, looking toward the changing room, blood rushing to her cheeks.  
"Hey, that's being a great one!" Impmon said, grinning hard. Kari could be heard giggling after this.  
"Come on Kylee. You've got me some new clothes, so I'll get you some too." Kari said.  
"Come on, come on!" Impmon said, still grinning and nudging Kylee on her knee.  
Kylee sighed and moaned. "_What the hell have I gotten myself in?"_ she thought, looking toward the ceiling…

"…Oookaayy…I'll do it…but Kari, there's something else I'd like to know…" Kylee finally said.

---

"Yeah, what's that power of you and Kari to change into that way?" Veemon said, for his Tamer had just asked the question, albeit differently.  
They had finally left the graveyard and were slowly walking back to the 'hideout'.  
"It's called 'Bio-Modify'." Regan said. "The name got derived from 'Bio-Merge' and 'Digi-Modify', since in a way, we merge with the digimon data, but it's still just a modification, not a true and complete merging."  
"But why the hell did you and Kari got that?" Riza asked.  
"You're making it sound like we wanted to get that." Regan said very sourly, glaring harder at Riza. "But trust me…that's the last thing we'd ever want to have. No…  
If it could have been avoided…"  
"The only things you said about that is that it involved Ragnarok…and that it was done to save your lives…But how did it happened?" Veemon asked.  
"I'd rather not talk about it…" Regan said darkly, closing his eyes and stopped walking. "However, that happened much before I came to this world with Lizomon, of that, I'm sure you must have guessed now…" he added.  
Both Riza and Veemon had stopped when Regan did. "Yeah, I kinda guessed that one…" Riza said. "So it was you who actually barged in the prison and got me out of here…thanks…"  
"In some way was my fault if you got there…But then again, Lizomon had told me that you made your choice, a noble one by the way…" Regan said, opening his eyes and smiling slyly at Riza.  
"Uhh…well…" Riza said, rubbing the back of his head while looking a bit away from Regan, obviously feeling uncomfortable about that.  
"Riza, we should get some money to buy out food." Regan suddenly said.  
"Huh?" Riza said.  
"There's no doubt that Kari and I will need to stay in our 'hideout' for a while, and we'll need some provisions. Let's go deal with that since the girls are already busy with something else." Regan explained.  
"Oh yeah, that's right." Riza said. "Let's go to my house then we'll go to the supermarket."  
"Want me to armor digivolve?" Veemon asked.  
"I don't see why you should Veemon." Regan interrupted. "We can take our time…"

---

"That? You want me to wear that?!?" Kylee said, now her being on the other side of the changing room.  
"What? I thought it'd go well with you." Kari said, a smile hidden beneath Regan's cloak.  
"I'm pretty sure Riza will faint out if he sees you with that dress." Impmon said with a snicker. Of course, he had seen the dress before Kari had handed it from over the door.  
"Impmon…" Kylee said darkly.  
"Ow!" Impmon suddenly yelped.  
It was Kari who had bumped him this time.  
"Hey! Why did you do this?" Impmon said, holding his head and looking at Kari.  
"Did you really need to always mock yourself of your partner?" Kari said…But the tone of her voice seemed different…much more serious…and in some ways, too similar to Gatomon.  
"Kari?" Kylee said worryingly from the changing room.  
Kari blinked, and slightly looked around, and noticed the bump on Impmon's head. "Oh, sorry Impmon…" she said.  
"What? I don't get it. First you hit me because I'm mocking myself of my partner, than you apologize?" Impmon said confusedly.  
"Uh well…It's another part of Regan and mine's 'condition'…  
You know that we digimon data inside of our bodies. Lizomon's and Gatomon's as it's obvious…  
We didn't only have some of their powers and abilities…but also their personalities…  
And we have to constantly struggle with that…" Kari explained.  
"So, if you don't control yourself, you're going to act more like Gatomon? Aside from that and those 'powers' that you've gotten, is there anything else you had as a side-effect?" Kylee asked.  
"Aside from a slight desire to eat fish and some hesitation to go in water, no." Kari said with a slight smile. "For me that is…" she added, lowering her head a bit.  
"What do you mean? What's different with…oh yeah…Regan's got Lizomon's data, and instead, parts of _his_ personality instead. That must be tough for him." Kylee said.  
"Yes…and that worries me…" Kari said. "Lizomon can fly…but when he transforms, Regan doesn't get wings…  
Regan may have to fight more often Lizomon's personality, considering how strong-willed Lizomon is…"  
"Yeah…to have managed to re-construct himself when he died…and all with his mind…" Impmon said, thinking back of when Lizomon told them his story. "That must be hard for Regan."  
"I'm sure it is…but Regan doesn't want to show it. I think he doesn't want anyone to really notice it…  
But that desire to fly…that could be something hard to fight…" Kari said on a low tone and sadly.  
"Hey cheer up Kari." Kylee said from the other side of the door. "Regan's a lot strong. We've seen him in action before…He can be determined, and probably won't let himself get taken easily…  
Mmm…I can't say if I'd really want to wear it Kari…sure, it looks nice…" Kylee then added.  
"What? Scared to make Riza fall for you?" Impmon said with a grin.  
"Kari…hit him for me." Kylee said angrily.  
With a sigh, Kari did just that, and struck Impmon on the head again…

---

"That's kinda worrying…about that personality thing…" Riza spoke. Now that they had the money, they could go on their way to buy much needed provisions for Regan and Kari.  
"I'm capable of handling it, so there isn't much to worry about…" Regan said neutrally, hands in his pockets.  
"Really? You kinda acted a bit differently than usual ever since you got back." Veemon said.  
"Usual…What could even be described as 'usual' about our situation, and the previous one?" Regan said, seemingly exasperated, and stopped walking.  
"Hey, I didn't mean to insult at all!" Veemon said sheepishly, waving his hands in front of him at Regan.  
"I know…" Regan said, his eyes casting some partly unsettling appearance. "I have to constantly struggle with the fact that Lizomon's personality could give me serious problems. Whenever I use the Bio-Modify, I know I can't truly hold it, and it partly affects me, giving me more of Lizomon's instincts and attitude when fighting.  
There's no doubt that Kari gets Gatomon's skills and agility when she uses her Bio-Modify, but at least, her digimon isn't a super iron-willed obstinate digimon like Lizomon."  
"No Regan." Riza interrupted, staring seriously at the Digidestined. "You had Bio-Modify the first time, and even then, you weren't like that. What can make you act like that? What makes you think you should blame and condemn yourself like that?" he asked.  
"…" Regan lowered his head a lot, staring at the ground. "…Kari…"  
"Kari?" Riza asked.  
"She doesn't deserve that…all that trouble right now…  
Somehow, I feel like I may have been faulty of something and caused her to be here…I don't want others to be harmed because of my mistakes and my actions…  
And most of all…not Kari…She doesn't deserve it…  
Even if I was stranded last time…I could handle it…even with Lizomon. Perhaps, in some ways…he was the one giving me the courage and wisdom to go on, along with my own determination to see Ragnarok destroyed…  
But now…he's not here…  
I'm all alone…" Regan said, hesitating at some parts…and even seemed that he may be going to sob.  
"I think he likes her…" Veemon whispered to his Tamer.  
"We don't have time for that Veemon…" Riza whispered back angrily at his partner. "Regan…you aren't alone…  
We're here for you and Kari's with you. We're your friends, right?" he said.  
"…Indeed…But in all of this…I can't be sure if I'm really _that_ strong…or if it was simply because Lizomon was giving me that courage…or when one of my friends was threatened…" Regan hesitantly replied.  
"Regan…friends are to help each other…You helped us last time…so it's our turn to help you." Riza said.  
Regan sniffed a bit before raising his head. "Wasn't it you two who helped me against Ragnarok?" he asked with a wry smile.  
"Well, you helped us getting rid of the problem that was threatening our city." Riza replied with a smile of his own.  
The smile on Regan's face started to fade, replaced by a frown. "A problem that I brought though…"  
"Damnit Regan!" Riza yelled. "If you just want to dwell in the past, you'll never be able to go on! Think about Lizomon! Do you think he'd like to see you right now in that state? He'd be ashamed of his partner!"  
"And I think he'd probably give out a lot of punches to you Regan…" Veemon said with a thoughtful expression.  
"And besides Regan, you are strong. I haven't seen lots of people that can really be as strong as you are, so don't think yourself as a weakling." Riza said. "Besides, I don't think that Lizomon was meant to be partnered to someone who would be weak, but someone who would be strong." He added. "And you know what? I don't think it's your fault…"  
"What do you mean?" Regan sourly asked.  
"Are you blaming yourself because it always seems to be your fault? Perhaps it isn't your fault at all, and because you're still alive, it doesn't mean it's your fault after all." Riza said.  
"So, what do you recommend 'Doctor Riza'?" Regan asked with a smirk.  
"Get on in your life. You got to do what you have to do. Don't remain stricken. You got rattled, troubled, so shake yourself off." Riza said  
"…" Regan kept his gaze slightly low. "…Yeah, I guess you can be right, even if you're not always the smartest one around…" Regan said with a sly smirk.  
"Hey! What does that mean?!?" Riza said angrily, tightening a fist at Regan.  
Regan turned away from him and started walking with a grin. "Well, we're supposed to go buy out some food, right? That isn't gonna do itself alone, you know."  
Riza gave a slightly black look at Regan's back.  
"You know, I think he wanted to say 'thanks' in a special way." Veemon said.  
"He could have just said it instead of insulting me." Riza replied sourly.

---

Kari, Kylee and Impmon had finally left the supermarket, bags in hands.  
"Well…we kinda ended up with less money than I thought…" Kylee said. "And part of it was for some 'unneeded' things…"  
"Nah, I'm sure it'll be useful." Impmon said with a smirk.  
"I didn't ask for your opinion about that Impmon…" Kylee said, giving a slightly dark look at her digimon.  
Kari sighed tiredly while the other two continue to argue for a bit. Indeed, it seems that the relationship between Tamer and digimon may not be exactly like on her world, or what she saw in the Digital World. Well…there were a few exceptions…  
But quickly Kylee and Impmon stopped their arguing as the walk turned more silent.  
However…little did they knew…that they were being followed…  
The unknown follower kept himself hidden…then jumped after them.  
As he neared, Impmon started turning. "What the-"  
A smoke bomb exploded on them.

---

As Riza, Veemon and Regan continued walking toward the supermarket, a beeping sound suddenly made them stop. Both Riza and Veemon who were ahead turned backward to see the sound coming from Regan's digivice.  
Curious, Regan pressed a button on the digivice. "Hello?" he said.  
Kari's panicked and panting voice came out of Regan's digivice "_Regan! We're being-"_  
A sudden thud sound interrupted her, and no more sound came.  
"Kari? Kari! KARI!!!" Regan yelled. "Damnit!" he cursed and ran ahead of the others.  
Worried, Riza and Veemon also went after Regan.

But there was no doubt that they arrived too late.  
After a corner, they found some dissipating smoke…and some bags which obviously contained clothes, along with Regan's cloak on the ground.  
All three of them simply remained unmoving for a while, shock visible on their face…until Regan dropped on his knees. "Damnit…" he muttered.  
"Hum, Regan…keep yourself cool…" Veemon said.  
"You want me to be calm?" Regan said, whirling to face Veemon. "How do you want me to be calm in a situation like that?!?" he yelled at Veemon, who fell backward in fear. "Whoever did this is really gonna pay…" Regan said, clutching his right fist tightly…and Riza noticed red sparks coming out of it.  
"No Regan…please try to be calm…" he said, getting panicked that Regan may seemingly go berserk or something. "Listen, I got no idea who took them, we gotta find them instead of just yelling and cursing!"  
Regan remained silent, anger still in his face…but at least, the sparks in his hand had faded, which was a better sign… "If you got any ideas, I'm all ears…" he said, looking at Riza.  
But Riza didn't look at him as he noticed something on the ground, near Regan's cloak and the bags. "Regan, I think we got our lead." He said, kneeling down.  
Regan looked down at what had gotten Riza's attention. It was some kind of paint mark that looked like a small black spear.  
"A spear?" Regan asked.  
"It's not just anything Regan…" Riza said. "You see, there are three main Tamer groups in Phoenix City : Gold Hawk, Blue Falcon, and Black Sword.

But there are also some…less 'official' groups…"  
"Like criminal gangs…" Regan said.  
"Yeah. There's one that claims to be some special branch of Black Sword, but Black Sword deny that. That group calls itself Black Spear. And so far, the police never managed to get them." Riza explained.  
"And so you say that the Black Spear group is the one who got Kari and Kylee? Because they'd leave that mark after their actions?" Regan asked.  
"Yeah, that'd be them." Riza answered.  
Regan closed his eyes and smiled sinisterly. "You know, I got to thank you for helping clearing out my head. Now I can think better about how we're going to deal with them." He said.  
"What? But we don't know where they are." Riza said worryingly. "Even the police never managed to get them!"  
"Yeah…but the police doesn't have one of these…" Regan said, showing his digivice.  
"What do you mean? Your digivice got something special?" Riza asked.  
"I'll tell you later. Let's first bring those bags to the hideout then we'll deal with finding the girls. This time though, we gotta hurry, so make Veemon armor digivolve." Regan said, picking up the bags, but not before having put back his cloak on him.  
Riza looked uncertainly at Regan, then at Veemon.  
"We don't really have much of a choice." Veemon said sadly.

---

The first thing Kari registered when she regained consciousness was that her head was hurting badly. At first, her vision was blurred, but then she finally managed to clear out…and realize that she was lying down sideway on a cold ground.  
But what she managed to notice first was an unconscious Kylee lying down… ropes binding her feet and her unseen hands behind her back, which probably were tied too, along with a piece of cloth wrapped around her mouth.

Kari tried to speak, but all that came out was a muffled yell, and that her obviously realize that she too had been bound in the same way than Kylee in front of her. Try as she might, she was unable to undo her own bonds.

That is, in her human state…But…in her, she was unsure of using her Bio-Modify…  
She then noticed Kylee stirring before she opened her eyes, and after no doubt having seen Kari, she tried to speak, and soon realized that she couldn't. After that, Kari saw her trying to move madly, trying to shake off her bonds, but she was unable, helpless as Kari.  
The only thing Kari could notice is that the entire room was more of a dull stone gray, with only one single light at the ceiling. No windows were visible in Kari's field of vision as she twisted around as best as she could.

Then, a grinding sound made both bound girls pause as they twisted themselves to notice a tall beefy figure that had entered the room through an unseen door. As it entered inside, Kari and Kylee could distinguish the green skin of the horned figure, along with the large bone club it had holstered on its back.

And to top it all, that Ogremon had a black spear tattoo on his lower right arm.  
The Ogremon walked up to the two bound girls before removing the ropes on their ankles.  
"Don't even think of running away. Just come on." He said as he unsheathed his large club and looked ready to use it. Both girls looked uncertainly at each other. Kari hesitantly nodded…  
After all…

What other choice did they had?

---

"Alright, so what's that special thing that your digivice has that could help us find Kylee, Kari and Impmon?" Riza asked after that they had brought the bags to the hideout, and quickly left again.  
"As you noticed, my digivice can receive and send transmissions, since we got one from Kari right before she was kidnapped. But that's not all." Regan said. "The X-D3 digivice, as it's called, is kinda peculiar.

Though there have been some new kids with new digivices in the Digital World, the X-D3 seem to be different, because it reacts to thoughts and voice. Also, I think it's actually capable of…evolving…" Regan added.  
"Evolving?" Riza repeated.  
"Gain new abilities somehow. In some ways, I think that's kinda part of all digivices, but this one's evolving capabilities are heavily increased." Regan explained.  
"Okay…" Riza said, a bit confused  
"But it also has the same kind of abilities like other digivices, like the usual digivolving, armor digivolving…along with digivice scanning." Regan said.  
"But every digivice can do that, right?" Riza asked.  
Regan raised a finger at Riza. "Perhaps, but that's one of the things that's different. The X-D3 can actually identify the _type_ of digivice as well…And as far as I know, there's only one other person in the whole city that has an X-D3."  
"So that means you're going to use it to locate Kari's X-D3!" Riza said, realizing the truth.  
"And there will be good chances that Kylee will be with her…or so I hope…" Regan said uncertainly.  
"Okay, so let's find them anyway!" Riza said.  
Regan nodded, as he did, he raised his digivice, which has already started beeping, then the screen glowed before projecting first, a small map of the entire city, then zoomed unto a signal among many others. Then the zoom slightly pulled back, and showed two flashing signals, which were exactly identical, compared to another kind of signal, which was nearly everywhere on the map.  
"Awesome!" Riza said, impressed at the digivice's quick 'reaction'.  
"Okay…so if I read this clear, the map is showing us both X-D3s. According to the map, one of them is on normal ground, while the other one is…underground…" Regan said, observing the holographic map.  
"Well, we can easily guess which one is underground, right?" Raidramon said.  
The signal above ground, which was obviously the position of Regan's X-D3 started beeping before a red line drew itself from the signal and coursed through the map before stopping itself.  
"Okay, now it showed us a way to Kari, I guess…but it stopped above ground." Regan said, frowning a bit. "That could either mean the digivice will project the next part of the course later…or it _can't_ show it…" he added, the frown deepening.  
"What? Why wouldn't it be able to show it?" Riza asked.  
The map faded, replaced by holographic floating words saying : 'Telemetry data missing. Unable to project course.'  
"Yep…it can't…" Regan said grimly. "At least there's probably an entryway underground where it showed us the end of its path."  
"So, let's hurry then!" Riza said.  
"You know, I wonder if they wouldn't have been able to remove her digivice." Raidramon said. "Since she managed to call us." He added.  
"Fortunately, they wouldn't be able to. Unless I'd want otherwise, my digivice will remain stuck on me. No one else can remove it unless I'd want to. This of course means that unless they'd want to cut off Kari's arm, there's no way for them to take away her digivice." Regan explained.  
"Instead of talking let's just go." Riza said, climbing on Raidramon.  
"Right." Regan nodded, imitating Riza.  
After that the two boys had settled in, Raidramon quickly ran off.

---

The Ogremon had 'brought' (by constantly pushing them in the back with his club) Kari and Kylee at the entrance of a hall. Loud sounds could be heard coming from it, and nothing about that was making any of the two girls feel better.

As the Ogremon pushed them inside, they saw it was a vast cave with many Tamers and digimon around. And all of them could be seen wearing the black spear mark, along with every digimon in the cave being a viral type.

"Hey Darius! They're here!" Ogremon yelled.  
The people around stopped as they looked toward the Ogremon while others looked elsewhere, but most of the people's attention was fixed on Kari and Kylee, with some obvious and possibly sinister interest.  
"Bring 'em." Someone said on the other side.

Ogremon prodded them forward again, forcing Kari and Kylee to walk again toward the other side of the cave where that other person was. All the while, some people slightly whistled at them, but probably mostly at Kari, which only made her more uneasy.

And on the other side of the cave, waiting at some kind of makeshift stone throne, sat a teenager boy with black hairs, with some parts dyed green, pulled in a ponytail, while he also wore a t-shirt colored in a flaming style as well as a black vest, along with black jeans with chains and green shoes. The boy also wore black sunglasses, a sly smile visible on his face as the Ogremon brought the two girls to him. He also had the same black spear tattoo, however, he had one of each of his lower arms, and the tip of a larger tattoo could be seen out of his shirt.

Behind the throne stood a large black dragon-like digimon with four red eyes. A Devidramon. And probably the boy's partner.

"Well…that one ain't bad at all indeed…" the teenager said, removing his glasses, showing his green eyes. "Kylee Henke, the best Tamer in all of Phoenix City. It's an honor to have you here…" the boy said with a mocking smile.

Kylee simply glared hard while yelling something muffled by the cloth on her mouth. Probably a good amount of cursing.

"Oh yeah, seems you kinda forgot about that detail Ogremon." The boy, who had been called Darius sooner, said with an obvious chuckle. "Why don't you give a chance to those ladies to have a word?" he asked.

"Oh, sure." Ogremon said while putting his club on his back again, and removed the cloth piece from Kari first, then Kylee.

And as soon as he had take off Kylee's that she started yelling at them. "I don't know who the hell you are, you f*cking idiot but Impmon's gonna kick out your-"

"Oh yeah, your Impmon." Darius interrupted. "Devi, if you'd like…" he said.  
The digimon behind him chuckled before he rose his tail and threw something on the floor right in front of the two girls : A battered and wounded Impmon.

"Impmon!" Kylee screamed. "You-"  
She tried going forward, attempting to possibly hit the boy (despite that her hands were still tied in her back), but Ogremon held her back.

"Calm down, blondie." Darius said, lying on his throne again, putting his right foot on one of the arm supports. "If you'll get too 'excited', we'll have to 'cut' things up…" he said, passing his finger right in front of his neck.

That made Kylee shut, but the glare in her eyes was definitively evident, as well as her anger toward the boy.

Kari looked uncertainly toward her, but her attention became fixed on the boy when he spoke again. "And something we'd possibly never thought possible…  
Kari Kamiya…and probably the real one, in the flesh…"  
"I'm…" Kari started, trying to deny it, but she had no real idea what to say, along with the boy interrupting again.  
"I don't think you can try to lie out. We heard you try to call out that friend 'Regan'. Seems though that he had been calling you back 'Kari'. A coincidence? I don't think so." Darius spoke again.  
"But…who are you? And what do you want with us?"  
"Oh, forgive me not to have introduced myself. I'm Darius Duke, leader of the Black Spear Tamer gang." Darius spoke, rising up from the throne and stepping down toward the two girls, his attention fixed more on Kari.  
"You know, we were kinda wondering if that was indeed you, the real Kari Kamiya, that, as far as we knew before, was just a fiction, a character from an animated show.  
After all, there were a few odd details. We didn't found any traces of your partner around, and there's that peculiar digivice you have. Looks a bit like a D-3, but different.  
I can kinda guess that you must have gotten a new adventure and somehow, you ended up here." He said, walking closer.  
Kari closed her eyes and looked away.  
"Oh, I guess it may actually be true!" Darius spoke with some glee.  
Kari then felt him touch her chin and forcing her to look toward him. Uncertainly, she opened her eyes to indeed see his face closer.  
"You know Kari, I once was a fan of you. You'd probably feel honored. After all, all of us here are fans of any of you Digidestineds…but I think you were my favorite…" Darius said a bit more softly.

He then kissed her, forcefully touching her lips with his. She shuddered and her eyes opened wide at this as she tried to move back, but the Ogremon was preventing that. A few whistling and wolf howling were heard around.

"You jerk! Leave Kari alone!" Kylee yelled and threw a foot upward to kick Darius in his side. He lost his balance before losing his grip on Kari and falling down on the ground. Angered shouts and speaking were quickly heard and the Ogremon quickly reacted, smacking Kylee with the back of his hand, throwing her on the ground. She grunted a bit as she slightly rose while Kari remained shocked and shuddering from obvious disgust.  
"Well…that wasn't really nice…" Darius spoke as he rose and dusted himself before walking up to Kylee. He took her by the shirt before pulling her up, a cunning smile on his face. "I guess we'll need to give you a lesson in manners…"

"The one that really need a lesson is you, bastard!" Kylee replied.  
Darius snorted before releasing her shirt, and causing her to fall on the ground again. A few mocking chuckles were heard.  
"You know, I kinda wonder how we're going to do it first…" Darius said, pulling out a dagger from one of his jeans pocket.  
"You leave my partner alone…you bastard…" Impmon suddenly said, rising up uneasily.  
"Impmon!" Kylee said, a bit happier.  
"You're Tamers right? So why don't you try to fight me and Kylee? After all, we're the best there is. If we win, we get all to get out of here, okay?" Impmon said.  
"Mmm…" Darius rubbed his chin, but not before having put his dagger in his pocket first. Another sly cunning smile came to his face. "Alright.

However, if I win, Kari'll be staying here…and she'll be mine…" Darius said, anticipation coming in his face.  
That made Kari more uncertain as she didn't eyed Impmon with approval.  
"You got a deal." Impmon said. "Right Kylee?" he added, looking at her Tamer.  
Remaining silent for a little while, Kylee thought about this. "Yeah…it's a deal…" she said.  
"Perfect!" Darius said with a grin. "Alright, get Kari out of here, and prepare the duel arena."  
"Hey wait a minute!" Kylee said.  
"She ain't staying right here of course." Darius said, smiling at Kylee. "She'll get to watch from one of our guest rooms."  
"Kylee!" Kari said as a boy started dragging her out of the cave  
"Don't worry Kari, I'll get that bastard! And I'll get him hard!" Kylee shouted to her.  
The Ogremon unceremoniously pulled her up and back on her feet before removing the ropes binding her hands. As soon as this was done, Kylee rubbed her wrists a bit.

"Well, shall we go?" Darius said, motioning Kylee toward another passage.  
Not looking at him, Kylee simply walked toward the passage, followed closely by Impmon.

---

Kari was brought up in a partly small room, in which, a large video screen filled a good part of a wall. On the screen, a large cave, with an arena in the middle could be seen. And as Kari was unceremoniously forced to sit down on the chair, the boy who had brought her also brought more rope to tie her feet at the chair's feet, and looped more rope around her, binding her to the chair.

As soon as the boy was over, he went to lean by the wall, looking at the screen, where people could be seen entering the cave, and no doubt that Kylee was one of them, along with Darius Duke and his supporters who would obviously watch the fight…

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	5. Bio Modify : Control and Evolution pt 2

So, let's bring out the conclusion to the current chaos and problems our heroes are faced with...  
But will that help with the final answer? We'll see...

"_Being famous can easily bring you wanted attention along with unwanted attention. Kari Kamiya and Kylee Henke has a serious problem with this right now. As now Kylee possibly fight for the sake of Kari and herself, Regan Astrasz and Riza Ryuzaki are searching for them._

But can even the advanced capabilities of the X-D3 digivice will allow them to reach their friends in time?  
Or will a miracle happen to help all of them?  
Sometimes, help can come from unexpected sources…"

**Chapter 5 : Bio-Modify…Control and Evolution part 2**

"Are we there yet?" Riza asked. Sitting behind him, on Raidramon, Regan was keeping his eyes on his digivice.  
"Soon!" Regan replied. "Turn left!" Regan said, and Raidramon nodded before turning left at the next corner…and stopped.  
"Hum, Regan? What now?" Riza said as he looked at what had made Raidramon stop. A wall. They had arrived in the end of a small lane.  
"Down we go…" Regan said, climbing down of Raidramon, and pointing at a manhole. "Where else?" Regan said. "After all, Kari's signal's coming out from underground. So, let's go."  
Riza nodded uncertainly before climbing down of Raidramon who de-digivolved to Veemon, and then helped Regan in opening the manhole. After it was done, both looked into it.  
"Okay…who goes first?" Riza asked.  
Regan let out an annoyed sigh as he started climbing down the hole and touched down.  
"Dry." Regan's voice said, coming out of the hole. "There's no water there. I don't think that'd be normal in a sewer…which may mean that we're getting closer…"  
"Okay…I'm coming." Riza said before he climbed down, and after he was done, Veemon came.  
"Alright…now where to?" Riza asked.  
Regan pressed a button on his digivice, bringing back the scanning map, though it was clear that it lacked huge detail about the surroundings, yet, it detected many signals that looked all the same, except two.

And of course, one of the two symbols was near anther different one while the other was close to the big pack of the other signals.

"That way." Regan said, pointing forward and he started walking.  
"It's not really bright. We should have brought a flashlight." Veemon said.  
"We'll have to make due without one." Regan said. "Besides, who knows if someone may notice the light of it?"

For a good while, they walked silently, their footsteps slightly echoing in the tunnel. Regan stopped and brought his holographic map, which lightened up the tunnel slightly, but showed a more detailed map now. And on it, there was a passage right next to them, but when the Tamer and the Digidestined looked there, there was none.

"Hey Regan, why we can't see that passage that's supposedly on your map? Do you think it's hidden somehow?" Riza asked as he looked at the map.  
"Probably." Regan replied as he de-activated his map and walked up to the tunnel wall. He started running his hand along the wall. "Come on, help me guys. There must be some kind of secret opening."

Riza and Veemon nodded before they too started searching for any possible switch or button.  
For a while though, they found nothing…  
"Hey, I got something…" Veemon said. "Hey, the wall's pushing in!" he added.

Suddenly, the wall opened up where Riza was, and he fell right through the newly appeared opening.  
"Oh, sorry Riza…" Veemon said.  
"Looks like we found it." Regan said with a little chuckling.  
"Yeah, yeah. Let's go instead of staying here…" Riza said.

---

"Ready...  
Set...  
Go!"

On the mark, both Impmon and Devidramon charged toward each other. The battle between the two digimon, and for Kari's sake, had begun  
"Badaboom!" Impmon yelled as he threw a fire ball at the larger dark dragon digimon, who only slightly grunted from the ball impacting on it.

"Crush him down!"Darius ordered to his digimon.  
"Crimson Claws!" Devidramon roared before his claws glowed of a blood red color and he slashed down at Impmon, his claws leaving red trails of light as he slashed.

Impmon dodged as best as possible, as Devidramon's claws crashed in the ground, the large digimon roaring loudly as Impmon often moved out of the large digimon's way and claws.

Gazing strait at Impmon, Devidramon opened his eyes wide.

Kylee gasped, knowing what Devidramon wanted to do. "Impmon, above him!"

"Red Eyes!"Devidramon yelled before a flash of red light emitted from his eyes.  
However, he suddenly stopped when he received a kick on the top of his head, graciously given by Impmon, who then climbed down, throwing a fire ball on Devidramon's back, who flapped his wings to throw Impmon away.

"Well, why don't we get rougher, shall we?" Darius said, raising out a card in his hand. "Digi-Modify! Hi-Speed Disk B!"

Devidramon breifly shimmered before he moved with greater speed, narrowly missing Impmon as he slashed the air where the little digimon was only a few seconds before.

As Impmon started circling around Devidramon, the larger digimon quickly kept track of him before he raised one fist high and slammed it down at Impmon, who jumped out of the way.

"There's something you should learn, blondie! You can't have the advantage in the air without wings! Your digimon's wide open now!" Darius shouted mockingly. "Devidramon!" he yelled.

As Kylee gasped and Impmon simply glared at Devidramon while he was still jumping, the large dark dragon digimon roared before swiping Impmon…

Or should have swiped him…As he struck the air where Impmon was, Impmon seemed to have vanished. Devidramon looked around, until he felt a slight weight on his hand, and looked at it to notice Impmon who was clinging on the arm.

"I actually learned from that kind of situations, compliments of a certain Lizomon. I'll owe him that one, you big bully.

And I got to say, he was way better than you did." Impmon said. "Badaboom!" he yelled and threw a fire ball strait in Devidramon's right pair of eyes.

The large digimon reared its head in pain, roaring. And as he did, Impmon jumped from the claw to the shoulder, before hopping again, coming to the face's level.

"And that one's for him!" Impmon yelled. He then threw all his might into a punch and struck Devidramon in the side of the face, causing Devidramon to stumble…and fall on the side as Impmon fell on the ground.

"Now who's the best eh?" Impmon said, giving himself a high-five.  
Kylee smiled at him.  
"I wouldn't say victory yet, blondie…" Darius said.  
And Devidramon, growling, rose up again, the right side of his face slightly burned, but clearly, he was still capable of fighting…and he clearly didn't looked happy.  
"Of course…like it'd be that easy…" Impmon muttered.  
"Oh by the way," Impmon suddenly said louder. "that Lizomon I just spoke of. He's just a rookie, but I'm pretty sure he would have already taken your big digimon down!"  
"Hah, really funny…A rookie that would be able to beat a champion one-on-one. In your dreams perhaps, imp." Darius replied with a snort.  
Kylee tightened one fist. Despite that the batle may be evened right now, there was no idea if they would indeed be successful…

But even then, would Darius really kept his word? Kylee doubted it, and that made her worried.  
"_What can I do now? Even if we beat Devidramon, there's no way Impmon and I will be able to get through all of that boy's gang._

Riza, Regan…where are you?" she thought.

---

"I really think we've found their hideout. Problem is now, where to find them?" Regan said on a low tone.  
"Yeah, and also, better try not to be noticed." Riza added on a low tone as well.  
Riza, Veemon and Regan were still travelling in the low-lit underground corridors as they continued searching for the missing girls.

"Hey guys, look here." Veemon muttered, motionning at a slightly opened door.  
Both Regan and Riza came to look inside. It was a slightly small room with only one light for lighting up the room. And on the ground, there was two ropes.

"Yep, they probably were here." Regan said.  
"You're sure about that?" Riza asked.  
"If they tied them before putting them there, probably. They must have removed the ropes around their feet to move them more easily…" Regan said, his expression slightly darknening.  
"Anyway, that ain't really helping us. Let's search around more." Riza said.  
"Right." Regan replied.

---

The battle between Impmon and Devidramon hadn't been missed at all by Kari and the one watching her as both were still observing from the 'guest room'.

While Kari continued to deseperatly watch the fight, she was still very much worried, hell, if not panicked, about if Impmon and Kylee would win. So far, both digimon seemed evened.

Though it seems that Impmon owed a bit of his improved skills to Lizomon, and some previous battles, according to what Kylee had said to Kari.

Still, Kari herself wasn't calm about it.

She then heard the sound of footsteps as her guard came up closer.  
"You know, chances are that Darius' gonna win and take you.

So…" he said, thinking. "I'd like to have at least one little fun with you…" he added with a more devious grin.

Kari shuddered, quickly realizing what he wanted to do. She shook her head left and right, hoping that he wouldn't suceed, but he did managed to grab her face and force her to look at him.

The teen's face neared to her.  
Closing her eyes, she yelled. "No!"

---

As Regan, Riza and Veemon continued their search into the underground hideout of the Black Spear gang, now arriving at a corner, they suddenly found themselves head-to-head with another teen, who obviously looked like a member of the Black Spear.

But before everyone could recover from their shock, since it was pretty obvious the gang member didn't expected to find intruders, Regan's digivice started beeping, distracting the gang member even more.

As he looked at Regan's 'watch', Regan quickly threw a punch in the teen's face, knocking him cold.

"Phew…well, nice one Regan…" Riza said. "Never thought you'd use your digivice to distract him."  
"I didn't." Regan said. "It detected something."

The screen of the digivice glowed before it projected a series of holographic words.

'Bio-Modify overload activation detected.'

"W-What does that means?" Veemon asked uncertainly.  
"Regan, I don't get it. You haven't used your…" Riza started.  
"No…which means it's Kari…  
But…Overload activation?" Regan said.

He then gasped. "Oh no! I get it!"  
"What is it?" Riza asked.  
"She didn't consciously activated the Bio-Modification. It was triggered instinctivly…  
Which means that it's not really her in control…but the digimon instincts instead…" Regan explained.  
"I'm not sure to really get what it means…but I don't think that's a good thing…right?" Veemon asked.  
"Really not good at all…You could say that Kari has gone berserk right now." Regan said darkly.  
"I don't like the sound of this…" Riza said worringly.  
"Come on! We gotta find her, and try to get her back in control!" Regan said before starting to run ahead.  
"Wait up!" Riza said, hurrying after him, along with Veemon.

---

The teen never managed to reach out Kari's face, as now pain had spread in his face…  
And Kari's foot right between his legs, having ripped out the robes binding it.  
"Don't…even…think…about…it…" Kari spoke…finishing her sentence with a cat-like hiss.

But her expression was filled with dread anger, and the expression in her eyes clearly weren't hers.

Along with that, Gatomon's ears could be seen coming out of her hairs now.

As she lowered her foot, the teen gasped before he collapsed on the floor.  
Kari then ripped out the ropes binding her to the chair, and raised up, her Bio-Modify clearly present since she had Gatomon's gloves adapted to her hands, along with claws, and not only the ears, but the long white and purple striped cat tail that ended in three points.

However, the expression in her eyes was extremly hardened…drastically much more like if she actually was Gatomon…

With a small hop, Kari leapt out of the room in which she was before looking around…  
Before going toward where the fighting currently was.

As she arrived at a corner, a gang member noticed her, accompanied with his Demidevimon.

"He-…what the hell's wrong with you?" the teen said, completely astonished about how different Kari looked.  
She didn't gave him time to react as she lunged at the two with a hiss, slightly opening her mouth…

Mouth that clearly had cat fangs.

---

Devidramon took off to the airs, looking down toward Impmon.  
"Well, let's see how you're going to be able to get out of this one, Kylee Henke." Darius said while pulling out another card. "Digi-Modify! Greymon!"

Devidramon roared before opening his maw. "Fire Nova!" he yelled before shooting out a large fire ball down at Impmon.

Impmon quickly ran out of the fire ball's way, which exploded on the ground, and the shockwave threw Impmon further. As he struggled to rise hurryingly, Darius laughed.

"Yes! Crawl in the dirt while you can, before you're going to be blasted out!" he said.  
"Before Kari will be _mine_…" he added with a sinister grin.

"Fire Nova!" Devidramon roared again, breathing out another fire ball.

Impmon had no choice but to jump out of the way.

---

Her latest opponents knocked out in a wall, Kari continued running toward her goal.  
She suddenly leapt ahead, one foot raised…  
Before she struck out a gang girl that was coming out of a door and slammed her down.

Kari gritted her teeth, as her expression still remained hard while she looked around, her cat ears twitching.

She ran off again before she encountered anther gang member in the way.  
While she neared at him, the teen quickly pulled out a knife and attempted to stab her.  
But Kari nimbfully dodged it before breaking the blade with a simple kick, and followed it with a punch in the teen's face.

As she had finished with this boy, she heard a yell before an Ogremon came out from behind, club raised.

She leapt out of the way as the bone club crushed in the ground.  
Landing back, Kari leapt out at Ogremon, landing a knee kick in the digimon's face before swiftly catching his head in mid-air and threw Ogremon above and ahead of her, making the digimon land on the ground hard, cracking it in the process.

Kari rose to regain her bearings again, and as she started to move…  
A gunshot was heard…  
Kari quickly reacted, but her eyes suddenly opened wide with pain as she fell on her knees, holding her right arm, which was now bleeding.

She looked behind her, to see the gang member with the knife that she had knocked out earlier slowly advancing on her, a gun in hand, in his left hand, considering that the right arm was dangling at his side, which obviously showed that Kari had broken it when she attacked him.

"I…I don't know if you're really Kari, but whatever the hell you are, it'd be better to kill you…" he said, his own voice mixed with some uncertainity and fear, probably about what Kari was.

Kari's eyes no longuer reflected the same expression than before, and now, fear seemed to mainly dominate her.

But as the boy rose his gun with his left hand…the wall to his left suddenly collapsed, a few rock striking him and knocking him cold on the ground.

And coming out of the hole in the wall, there was Regan, Flamedramon and Riza. Obviously, Flamedramon had punched through the wall.

"Re-Regan?" Kari asked.  
"Kari! Are you okay?" Regan asked as he came up and kneeled close to her while Riza and Flamedramon approached as well.  
"N-no…" Kari said, gritting her teeth in obvious pain as she slightly removed her hand from her injured arm.  
"Wait a minute." Riza said. "I thought you said she went berserk."  
"I…I'm not sure…what happened, right after that boy tried…to kiss me…" Kari said, making a face when speaking about the boy. "But…I think I must have let Gatomon's instincts control me…"  
"Kiss you?" Regan said. "Nevermind. I guess that because you got hurt, the pain made you come back more to…'yourself'.

Hold on, I'll see what I can do for that wound." He said.

He then clapped his hands together before touching Kari's wounds with his right hand. Kari slightly gasped with some pain when Regan touched her, but then, a warm red glow came out of Regan's hand, surrounding the covered wound.

When the glow ceased, Regan removed his hand from Kari's arm, and everyone could notice that the wound was gone.

"Thanks Regan." Kari said with a small smile.  
Regan nodded with a smile as well.  
"H-How could you do this Regan?" Riza said, astonished. "I thought it was AtmaRyumon who could do that."  
"Actually, as AtmaRyumon, the power is amplified. But the real power comes from me, and my crest." Regan replied.  
"Kari. What happened to you? And where's Kylee?" Riza asked.

"After that we were finished with our shopping, we were attacked by that…gang…  
And when we woke up, we had been imprisonned by them…  
Their leader…Darius Duke…  
He…kissed me…" Kari said, in a very obvious way that she hadn't liked that at all… "And Impmon wanted to challenge him to a fight, so that we could get out…  
And if Kylee loses…he gets me…" Kari said…

Regan clutched a fist tightly. "That bastard…if he thinks he's going to get away with that…  
Come on, we have to help Kylee now. Kari, can you lead us to her?" Regan asked.  
"I'll try." Kari answered as she rose.

They soon all hurried again, Kari leading the way…

---

Impmon was panting hard as he was struggling to stand, his body slightly burned, but his determination unwavered.  
"Well, I guess that's kinda obvious of who's the winner now." Darius spoke.  
"You haven't won yet!" Kylee said, eyes burning with determination as well. "And even then, you had cheated on us! Impmon wasn't even at his best because you had battered him before the fight! That was plain unfair!"  
"'All is fair in love and war.' Haven't you heard of that one?" Darius replied. "Devidramon! Finish him!"

"Fire Nova!" Devidramon roared, shooting out one last fire ball.  
The fire ball flew down toward Impmon…

"Flame Fist!"

Multiple fire balls impacted on Devidramon's attack and destroyed it.

"What?" Darius looked toward where the attack came, and saw Riza, Regan and Flamedramon.

"Kylee! We're here!" Riza said, waving his hand…and jumping so he could be noticed(considering his small size caused a slight problem)…

"Riza! Flamedramon! Regan!" Kylee shouted, smiling. Then she gasped, remembering. "They got Kari elsewhere!" she added.  
"Got it!" Regan replied.

"There's no way you're going to get her! Kari will be mine! Black Spear, get them!" Darius spoke.

Flamedramon put himself in front of Riza and Regan as the gang members of Black Spear approached them, while Regan was holding his digivice in front of him, ready to use his Bio-Modify.

Darius grinned as he saw that his members would easily outnumber the intruders.  
Then he felt a small sharp tapping on his shoulder.  
He turned backwad…

And got struck in the face hard before being knocked on the ground.

"That's for the kiss!" Kari said, and gripped his collar before lifting him.

As Darius' vision cleared, he noticed that Kari had somewhat changed.  
"W-What's wrong with you?!?" he said. "You can't be the real one!"  
"I'm the real Kari Kamiya, believe it or not." Kari said. "But things have gone beyond the show, and that's something you hadn't realized."

"Everyone! Stand down or I'll strike him!" Kari shouted.  
"Nice work Kari!" Regan said, giving her a high-five.

Everyone of the Black Spear looked uncertainly toward their threatened leader, and especially surprised about the 'changed' Kari.

Kari let out an exhausted sigh. Despite her actions, and the necessity of doing that, she never truly liked fighting…but sometimes…it had to be done…she had learned that enough times already…

Suddenly, darkness spread on the ground right beneath Darius before it rose upward and envelopped him, causing Kari to release her grip on him, surprised.

"Kari, watch out!" Regan uselessly warned.

Everyone heard Darius scream as he was engulfed by the darkness…and a clawed black arm suddenly lunged out of the darkness, gripping Kari by the neck with extreme force.

The darkness sinked into Darius' form…as it revealed a demonically transformed Darius. He was completely black now, with a more muscled form, with lang fangs and horns, along with a large tail and wings.

A 'blast' of darkness also shot out from his back before it went toward an uncertain Devidramon. The darkness envelopped the unfortunate digimon before it transformed it as well, making it larger, growing a new pair of eyes, increasing the size of the horns and of his fangs.

The darkness enhanced Devidramon released out a huge roar before it opened his mouth and breathed out large blasts of dark flames all around.

Now, every member of Black Spear fled around in panic.

But for the two Tamers, their digimon, and Regan, their attention was fixed on the transformed Darius, and Kari that he had caught.

"You leave her alone!" Regan yelled as he ran toward him.

'Darius' turned toward Regan before holding his hand toward him and shot out a ball of black flames from it at him.

As the ball exploded on the ground at Regan, he leapt out of the smoke unleashed out of the explosion, in his Bio-Modify form.

Holding his two hands together, Regan threw a ball of multi-colored energy at 'Darius', who opened his wings and moved himself sideways, while still holding Kari, who struggled to get free of his grip.

Yelling, Regan charged at 'Darius', one fist held tight as it burst in flames, seemingly propelling Regan forward…

---

Flamedramon also rushed toward 'Darius', but 'Devidramon' breathed down a wave of black flames to block his way.  
Flamedramon stopped, glaring upward at 'Devidramon'. "Guess I'll have to fight you to get to your master!" he said. "Fire Rocket!" he shouted, bursting in flames, and rocketed in the air toward 'Devidramon'.  
As he did, while Riza ran closer, Kylee went to Impmon. "Impmon! Are you all right?" she asked worringly.  
"I'll…I'll be okay…" Impmon said as she held him. "But looks like I've been tagged out of this one…"  
'Devidramon growled as Flamedramon slightly struck him in the side, but he roared and slashed toward Flamedramon, seeking to strike him. "Crimson Claws!" he shouted.  
Flamedramon stopped his charge in mid-air before managing to spin himself and threw a series of flaming balls at 'Devidramon', yelling "Fire Rocket!".

A few fire balls struck 'Devidramon' on the claws, and also on the wings and on his body. The 'dark' digimon grunted from the pain as Flamedramon managed to land down safetly.  
"Alright Flamedramon, we gotta get him and fast!" Riza said.  
"But that won't be easy." Flamedramon replied. "Looks like he doesn't want to land anymore."  
"Well, you'll just have to get to him." Riza said, taking out a card off his pocket. "Digi-Modify! Air Wings, activate!" he said, slashing the card in his D-Arc.

Flamedramon's back glowed before large wings grew out of it. He flapped his new wings once, then took off to the skies to face off against the transformed Devidramon, who sneered at him.

---

Regan lunged at 'Darius', narrowly missing him as 'he' moved out of the way, then opened his mouth to breathe out a blast of dark flames at Regan, who barely avoided being burnt…or worse…

Eyeing 'Darius', Regan thought about his next move. As long as he held Kari, he could use her as a human shield, and Regan didn't wanted that.

Kari suddenly vaulted her feet above Darius' arm and struck him in the face. Despite that he stumbled back, the darkness enhanced human kept a death-like grip on Kari.  
However, this was the opening Regan needed. He rammed, flaming fist first, into 'Darius''s chest, causing the monster to stumble back more, and Regan then followed by shooting out a multi-colored energy ball at point-blank range, right into his stomach.  
The 'monster' fell on one knee, but used one of his wings to slap Regan back. Kari also tried to flee again, but once again, the monster was having a too strong grip.

However, in the look of the monster, it seemed that it was considering something about Kari…

Raising his head above, he breathed large amount of dark flames to the rocky ceiling, destroying it and creating a way out of caves and back to the surface.  
Seemingly grinning at Regan, the monster fully opened his wings, flapping them.

Shaking his head from being partly stunned, he started to notice that 'Darius' was going off in the air.  
"Regan!" Kari shouted.  
As Darius started leaving the ground, Regan leapt at him, and collided with his dark form. However, if 'Darius' didn't lost his balance and fell to the ground again…  
Regan had clingned himself to 'Darius' instead…  
The monster simply continued to grin as he flew higher and higher, and out of the hole to fly to the surface…and went higher…

---

While 'Devidramon' breathed out more series of black fireballs, Flamedramon constantly released some "Flame Fist!" to either strike out 'Devidramon' with his own fireballs, or trying to punch him when the demonized digimon was getting too close.  
"Fire Rocket!" Flamedramon yelled, bursting in flames and rocketed toward 'Devidramon', who started moving sideway to dodge…  
And got struck first by a small fireball from Impmon below which distracted him…then the Fire Rocket itself.  
'Devidramon' roared as he lost his balance and started falling, but managed to recover his balance and remain aloft.

Flamedramon flew toward and above 'Devidramon' but his opponent twisted his head toward Flamedramon before breathing out more dark flames, forcing Flamedramon to drop lower.

However, as he did, 'Devidramon' glared at his with his eyes and smiled.  
"Red Eyes!" he shouted, a flash of red light emitted from his eyes, catching Flamedramon in them, and freezing him in the air. He quickly lunged and grabbed Flamedramon before plunging downward and slammed Flamedramon on the ground.

"Flamedramon!" Riza shouted. He started taking out another card from his pocket…only to notice a growing shadow above him.

"Riza, watch out!" Kylee shouted.  
Riza obeyed…and just in time…as he jumped away and slammed on the ground, as Devidramon's free hand smashed the ground right where he had been standing.

Hurrying to rise, Riza looked back toward his partner who struggled to get out of 'Devidramon''s grip. The large demonized dragon digimon raised his free hand toward Riza once again…

But as he dropped down, 'Devidramon' felt a very nagging burning sensation in his other hand…as Flamedramon had activated his "Flame Shield!"  
Roaring from the increasing pain, 'Devidramon' dropped Flamedramon, who didn't wasted time throwing fireballs at one of 'Devidramon''s feet.  
'Devidramon' growled, seemingly more angered than pained as he glared right at Flamedramon.

Riza pulled out a card from his pocket, looking uncertainly at it. He started putting it back in his pocket, clearely seeking another one…  
But suddenly looked toward Flamedramon as a roar came from Devidramon. The large digimon had slapped Flamedramon away and more toward Riza, Kylee and Impmon.

"Flamedramon! Are you all right?" Riza said as he started going for his digimon.

"Riza! Watch out!" Kylee warned as a growing shadow covered Riza and his digimon…and Devidramon slammed his large clawed hands on them, trapping them beneath.

The force of the ground striking claws also threw Kylee backward, who dropped Impmon.  
As she shook her head to regain her bearings, she noticed that Devidramon was right on top of Riza and Flamedramon, glaring at his two prey before clearely readying to deal the finishing blow.  
But then, Kylee noticed something on the ground. A card.  
Hurrying, she went up to it and picked it up.

It was Riza's Digi-Egg of Friendship card…and oddly enough, a slight electric pulse was going along it.  
"_Could that be somekind of sign?"_ Kylee thought.  
But considering that Riza and Flamedramon may not have much time left, Kylee took a breath…

"Digi-Modify! Digi-Egg of Friendship, activate!"  
She swiped the card in her D-Arc.

The digivice glowed before Impmon also became encased in light.

"_Impmon, armor digivolve to…Thunderbirdmon!!!"_

From the crackling ball of electricity emerged a large bird-like digimon. Most of his body and feathers were of a dark blue coloring, along his wings ended up with golden colored lightning shaped rigid 'feathers'. The neck was covered in white fluffy feathers while the face was covered with a mask much akin to Raidramon's, but coloured dark blue with the edges of the mask being golden, along with a golden lightning shaped horn coming out at the front of the mask. A few golden colored lightning shaped marks were visible on the wings, and on the sides of the fluffy crest of white feathers that ran on all of the digimon's back. And while his feet ended with golden lightning shaped claws while his dark blue tail also had a few golden lightning colored marks, and was shaped much like a lightning bolt.

Kylee stared with some awe at how Impmon had changed with the card.  
Thunderbirdmon even seemed to look a bit surprised at himself.  
Regaining her priorities, Kylee pointed at Devidramon. "Come on! Go help Riza and Flamedramon!"

"No need to tell that twice!" Thunderbirdmon replied as he flapped his wings and threw himself toward Devidramon, and impacted hard on the demonic dragon digimon, throwing him sideway, and freeing Riza and Flamedramon.

"Are you all right Riza?" Kylee asked as she came up to him.  
"Y-Yeah…I'll be fine." He said. "Flamedramon?"  
"Could have been better, but I'll be okay." Flamedramon answered as he rose and looked toward Devidramon. "Now if you don't mind guys…" he added as he ran toward Devidramon and Thunderbirdmon.

"Never thought you could do that with my card Impmon." Flamedramon said.  
"Let's talk about this later, okay?" Thunderbirdmon said. "It's kinda weird to be like this."  
"Okay then. Flame Fist!" Flamedramon replied as his fist burst in flame and he threw multiple fire balls at Devidramon.  
Thunderbirdmon closed his wings on himself, which started crackling with electricity. He then opened his wings, yelling "Thunder Stormer!" and unleashed a large wave of thunder at Devidramon.

The demonic digimon screamed as he was struck by both attack..and finally fell on the ground before a dark smoke faded out of his body, his appearance finally returning to normal…before Devidramon dissapeared in thousands of bits…deleted…

"Whew…we did it…" Riza said, relieved. He then looked toward Thunderbirdmon. "But Kylee…I'd never thought you could have used my card for Impmon…"  
"Well…I didn't thought of it either…" Kylee said. She was partly guessing what Riza may tell. "Look, about that card…it still belongs to you."  
"Well…okay, here's what we can do. If we really need Impmon to be stronger, I'll lend you my card, okay? Since I already have one for Flamedramon, you can borrow the one for Thunderbirdmon." Riza said.  
"It's okay with me." Kylee said, more relieved. "And thanks a lot that you came to rescue me."  
"Well…we kin-Oh crap! Regan and Kari!" Riza said, realizing he forget about the two Digidestineds.  
Looking back toward where 'Darius', Regan and Kari had been, they were nowhere to be found, except for a large hole in the ceiling high above.  
"Let's go help them! At least Thunderbirdmon's gonna really help on that one." Kylee said.  
Thunderbirdmon frowned at that. "Well, I'll help you guys getting out of the hole, but I'll let you drop after that, since it won't be that easy for me to carry out all of you."  
Flamedramon nodded before he de-digivolved back to Veemon. "Right. Let's get out of here."  
Riza, Veemon and Kylee all went to Thunderbirdmon and the two Tamers held tight on each of his legs while Veemon clutched on the tail.  
"Hold tight!" Thunderbirdmon warned before he flapped his wings and took off to the air, and then, after some effort, got out of the hole and landed again, letting the others get off him.

"Now, where are they?" Riza said.  
"Up there!" Kylee said, pointing upward, noticing small figures in the sky…

---

Regan was still struggling hard on 'Darius', while he was still holding Kari, and continued to fly higher. Raising a hand, Regan slammed it repeatedly on 'Darius''s chest, but not really be able to do much.  
'Darius' simply continued to grin maniacally at them, and Regan knew well why. The monster that had taken both Darius and his digimon could easily fly, while none of the two Digidestineds, even with they Bio-Modification present, could.  
And no doubt that the fall could be deadly now…

'Darius''s grin finally faded to annoyance as he slammed his free hand on Regan's side of his head. Despite being partly knocked out, Regan still held on, gritting his teeth hard. He slammed one of his feet against 'Darius' in reply.  
Growling, the monster clutched his fist tightly…and struck Regan with a much stronger blow…

And this time, Regan lost his hold…before he fell…  
"Regan!!!" Kari screamed, trying again to escape 'Darius''s hold.  
As he started to fall, 'Darius' kicked on the partly knocked out Regan, seeking to make him fall even faster.

---

"Come on Thunderbirdmon! Go get him!" Kylee said.  
Nodding, Thunderbirdmon soon went off in the air, hoping to catch Regan.

---

"_So…is this how I'm gonna die?  
And I wasn't strong enough to save Kari…"  
"Come on! Get a grip on yourself!"  
"Huh?"  
"Geez! Why do you always seem to be so down often?  
Look, I'm sure that you'd like to fly, wouldn't you?"  
"I'd like nothing more than that right now…"  
"Sure, of course because it'll allow you to not die.  
But of course, you'd really need them._

That's why I'll lend you my wings to you Regan."

---

As he fell, Regan started glowing more and more. Of course, this didn't went unnoticed by Kylee, Riza, Veemon, Thunderbirdmon, Kari, and 'Darius'.  
Right now, Regan looked nothing more than a shining ball of light that fell…and then stopped in mid-air…before going upward again…

The light dispersed from Regan as he finally went back to 'Darius''s level and eyed him sharply…  
But Regan had changed…  
His horns and tail had grown more, and his claws and arms looked more powerful, more stronger, and now his changed skin, tail and horns was colored of a more deep red instead of orange…  
And among that, a large pair of red wings had sprouted in Regan's back.  
"You let go of Kari now, you creep…" Regan said.  
'Darius' snorted before grinning…and released Kari who fell.

Regan quicly dove down at Kari and grabbed her with his arms. She panted hard from the panic.  
"Regan? What happened to you?" she said, astonished from Regan's sudden change, but suddenly, "Watch out!" she warned.  
'Darius' came diving at them, his claws readying to tore Regan to shred.  
Despite weightened by Kari, Regan flew away, and spiralled above him.  
"Kari, hold on me! I'll need to have at least one free hand to fight him." Regan said. She nodded and clutched hard on him, while he held her with one arm, and the free arm was now balled into a fist, a fist which crackled with multi-colored energy.

He held his hand toward 'Darius', and it shot out a larger energy ball at him. It exploded on one of his wings, but he managed to stay aflot.  
'Darius' turned toward Regan and Kari, glaring hard, obviously readying to fight.  
"Thunder Stormer!" Thunderbirdmon shouted, sending out a wave of electricity at 'Darius'. The electric blast struck him hard in his back, distracting the possessed Tamer a lot.  
And Regan quickly took the advantage to go down to 'Darius''s level before holding his hand, readying to deal the final blow.  
"You…would kill him?" 'Darius' suddenly spoke in a gruttural voice.  
Regan slightly gasped, and so did Kari. The one that had spoke was not the Tamer, but the thing that had possessed him. And clearely, it mentionned Darius now.

"You already killed him." Regan said, glaring hard…and threw his clawed hand at the monster, ripping out through his chest.  
The beast wailed hard, wings flapping uncontrollably while Regan pulled out his bloddied clawed hand, and pulled back from the monster. It started falling down without all control before a burst of smoke came out of him, and left him, 'transforming' Darius to what he once was.  
Thunderbirdmon wanted to go get Darius before he was going to fall down, but he then noticed something as he neared the falling boy.  
There was indeed no life in his eyes. He was already dead, just like Regan had said. And it wasn't because Regan had 'killed' the beast…  
Continuing to dive down, Thunderbirdmon and everyone else watched as the lifeless corpse crushed on the ground.  
"Thunderbirdmon...why?" Kylee said hesitantly as the digimon landed near her, Riza and Veemon.  
Thunderbirdmon glowed and de-digivolved to Impmon before replying, looking down. "Sorry Kylee. He was already dead…" Impmon said.  
The Tamers remained silent.  
"But, what about Regan and Kari?" Riza asked.  
All of them looking up, they could see their small forms flying away. No doubt they were returning to their hideout.  
"Come on…let's go…" Veemon said.

---

Kylee, Riza, Veemon and Impmon went back to the hideout, with food from the grocery stores they went on the way, to find Regan sleeping on the couch, and Kari sitting at the table, eyes closed and her expression very thoughtful. Both of them looked normal now.  
"Hum…Kari? Are you okay?" Kylee asked a bit uncertainly.  
Noticing them, Kari opened her eyes and looked at them. "Oh yeah, we're okay now…" she replied. "What's that?" she asked, mentionning about the bags the Tamers were having.  
"Oh, before we went to help you, Regan and I were going to the grocery store to buy food for you two." Riza explained. "Kinda thought it should be done."  
Kari smiled a bit tiredly and nodded. Entering in the appartment, Kylee looked at the sleeping Regan. "Is he…okay?" she asked worringly.  
Kari's eyes filled with concern. "Yeah, he is okay…which I find weird. When we came back here, he removed his parts, and didn't seem really pained, but tired instead. He just went to sleep after that."  
"Weren't you guys normally pained when you were over with that Bio-Modify?" Riza asked.  
"Well, after we're using it more often, we can bear the pain more easily." Kari explained. "But I'd rather thought Regan would really be in pain after what just happened."  
"But…what happened to him?" Kylee asked.  
Kari closed her eyes again, thinking. Then she opened them and looked at the Tamers again, more seriously. "I think he…digivolved…"  
"Digivolved?" Riza asked.  
"You should have seen how he looked like…more like Ryumon instead of Lizomon." Kari said. "It's probable that this form, and even the other forms of Lizomon, are also within the data that Regan has in his body, as much as Lizomon himself has.  
Perhaps that because he got really threatened, he digivolved." She added.  
"You've been thinking about this a lot?" Kylee asked.  
"Yeah…" Kari answered. "But I'm still worried by much more…  
Like what was that thing attacking us? Or, are we really going to be able to go home?" Kari asked worryingly.  
Kylee, Riza and their digimon remained silent as they watched Kari that was obviously much worried…for all of them were worried as well…


	6. Through the Dreamer's eyes

_"Hope...Courage...Love...Friendship...Kindness...Knowledge...Reliability...  
Those strong feelings...from where can they truly come from?  
How can they be part of those driving forces behind ourselves?  
Our dreams may be a great force, a great power that may lead us on...  
For those who have lost hope...  
Dreams can bring it back..."_

**Chapter 6 : Through the Dreamer's eyes**

The first half of their day had been a lot shaking, no doubt about this. Both Tamers and Digidestineds had been shaken by the events that had transpired in the cave hideout used by the Black Spear gang. But, with their leader who had been lost...or rather, killed, would they make themselves known again?

That was something Kari was wondering right now.  
She was wandering the streets of the city, dressed differently now. She was wearing knee length light blue jeans with a light pink t-shirt with the word 'angel' written in white on it. Along with that, she was wearing a pair of small light brown gloves. Also, she had dyed her hairs with a darker brown coloring than her normal color. For once, she had removed the hairpin and let her bang fall in her face. It gave her a more similar look back in the time when she had first come in the Digital World.

_"Is what we done right?"_ she thought. She still thought about the very recent events that just happened. Had Regan done a good thing in killing Darius? He had claimed that the monster already killed him. Was it true or not? Unfortunately, it seems they would never know.

Right now, Regan had been left in the hands of the two Tamers, though right now, the only thing he was doing was sleeping. According to what she had thought about this, Regan may not be as powerful as Kari, in terms of Bio-Modify.  
Of course, that considered the fact that Gatomon is a Champion level digimon, and so does Ryumon. That put them on equal terms now, in term of strength. Even so, he seemed more powerful than usual. Perhaps some kind of special boost...or simply his determination?

Kari sighed. She knew very well the extent of Regan's determination. Whenever he _really_ want to do something, you might as well try to convince the sun to not rise instead. Of course...considering that...  
Small bickering voices drew Kari's attention out of her thoughts as she looked toward the other side of the road she was walking on. A small park was there, and she saw a few boys that seem to pick on a little girl. All of them were probably around 8 years old. The boys mocked the girl a bit and walked away, leaving the little girl sad, and obviously, on the verge of crying.

Taking pity, Kari went to the other side of the road and to the little park, coming up to the young girl. She had her back faced to Kari, so she obviously didn't saw her coming, especially since Kari could hear her sob right now.  
"Hey there, little girl. What's wrong?" Kari gently said, putting a hand on the little girl's shoulder.  
The little girl gasped slightly and turned toward Kari. The Digidestined could clearly see the young girl's wet eyes now. Though Kari partly took interest and curiosity about how the young girl looked like.

She was dressed in blue shorts and a green sleeveless shirt, and light blue shoes. Although her hairs were of an even darker shade of color than Kari's currently dyed hairs, the hairstyle was a bit oddly similar to her, but her bang was much more smaller than Kari's, even when she was younger. And she had also had light blue eyes.  
The little girl looked curious at why that stranger had called out to her.  
"Could you tell me what happened with those boys?" Kari asked gently while putting one knee down in front of the younger girl, so to better look at her eye-to-eye.

She sniffed sadly again. "I wanted to play at the digimon card game with them, but they didn't want to. Only because they said that I cheated before. But I had won, I'm sure of it. I wouldn't want to cheat." She said.  
Kari took pity on the little girl. Perhaps that in some ways, she did looked a bit like herself when she was younger. "I'm sure you didn't want to cheat, and I'm sure you were really good. They just aren't really good, and...well...they probably don't really like to lose a lot..." Kari said, adding a small hesitant smile in the end.  
The little girl still didn't look all that much convinced. Kari turned a little more thoughtful.

"Hey, would you promise me to stop those tears if I bought you an ice cream?" Kari asked gently.  
The little girl stopped sniffing and started wiping off her tears, adding up a small smile. "Yeah." She said more happily.  
"Come on." Kari said starting to rise up then stopped. "By the way, what's you name?" she asked.  
"I'm Catherine. But my friends call me Cathy." The little girl replied.  
"Well, I'm Kari." Kari replied. "And can I call you Cathy?"  
"Sure." Catherine replied more happily.  
"Alright, let's go get that ice cream now." Kari said, fully standing up, and took Catherine's hand. She didn't let go of Kari and looked happily at her as they started walking.  
"You know, your name's like Kari Kamiya, from the show." Catherine said.  
Kari slightly frowned sadly, but quickly buried her uncertainties. She couldn't show that to Catherine. Instead, she made a more fake, happy smile. "Yeah, I get that a lot." Kari said with a little giggle, which made Catherine giggle as well.

---

Regan yawned as he stretched himself. After sitting up on the bench, he checked the hour on his digivice. "Boy, looks like I slept longer than I thought." He remarked with a small hesitant smile.

"Regan? Are you...okay?" Regan turned to see Kylee starting to sit aside from him. She didn't look fully well about him.  
"What's wrong about me? I feel well." Regan said. He then realized and frowned, his expression turning more serious. "Oh...it's about what happened, right?" he asked seriously.  
Kylee nodded. "In the end...you...well, Kari think you...digivolved..." she said.  
Regan was slightly taken aback, but he quickly remembered...  
"Oh yeah...I guess...we can say that I did digivolved..." Regan said, looking a bit to the floor, resting his hands together on his legs. "But...when it happened...  
I heard Lizomon's voice...  
And he said he would lend me his wings..." Regan added.  
"Lizomon?" Kylee asked. "You're sure about that?"  
"Voice, attitude and everything. That seemed like him...  
Or perhaps...a remnant of him...in the data I have in my body..." Regan said, more darkly.  
After that, he remained a bit more silent. Kylee remained silent as well for a while.  
"You know...there's something I wonder..." she started. "Clearly, now we know there is more than one Real World, all like alternate realities, right?"  
"Yeah?" Regan simply said, wanting Kylee to continue her reasoning.  
"So, would that mean, that there could be, well, others...like us?" Kylee asked.  
Regan turned curious. "You mean...other Regans, or other Kylees?" he asked. "Actually...that may be true."

"What?" Kylee said, surprised.  
"I did met Kari's older brother in the Digital World...but I also met _another_ Tai as well, and at the same time, the 'original' Tai was there too." Regan said.  
"You aren't joking, right?!?" Kylee asked.  
"Nope." Regan replied. "His outfit was kinda much like the first season, along with a cloak. But his digimon...that wasn't an Agumon.

According to Lizomon, that's a Veedramon. That 'other Tai', called Taichi, called it Zero." He added, lifting his shoulders with a shrug.  
"Well...I'd never thought it could be true..." Impmon suddenly said, jumping on the couch besides Kylee.  
Ignoring Impmon's sudden appearance, Regan continued on. "So, according to that logic...that means there could be another 'Regan' in this world...  
Perhaps there's another 'Kari' in this world as well. Different, but with some similarities. I doubt that their names would be the same though. Perhaps a bit similar." Regan said.  
"Yeah, I'd wonder who that Kari from my world could be." Kylee asked with a small wondering smile.  
Regan sighed. "Would we really need to know who it is? It's not something really that important, you know."  
Kylee shrugged with a smile. "Sorry, I kinda was wondering a lot about that."  
Regan rose up from the couch. "By the way, where's Kari and I mean 'our' Kari." He said, looking around with a slight smile.  
"Oh, she went to take a walk. But she made sure to change her clothes and put on a hair dye first before leaving." Kylee said.  
"Ah, okay..." Regan said, putting his hands in his pockets. "You know, I think I'll take a walk. You and Impmon can go home now."  
"You're sure about that?" Kylee asked with some concern.  
"Yeah. You helped us a lot for today. Let's meet up tomorrow okay?" Regan said.  
"That's okay with me." Kylee said. "I'll phone Riza about that as well."  
"Okay. If there's a problem, you can call." Regan said. As he went to the door, he took his cloak from the table and put it on...

---

"Mmm...that's really good!"  
Both Kari and Catherine were sitting on a bench, both of them with an ice cream in hand, a chocolate flavour for Catherine, and a vanilla one for Kari.  
Kari simply looked a bit wondering at Catherine, who seemed happier now, and busier eating her ice cream.  
Catherine then stopped and looked curiously at Kari. Kari started being a bit uncertain, wondering what she should say about why she was constantly looking at her.  
"Hey, are you forgetting about your ice cream?" Catherine asked.  
"Oh...sorry Cathy." Kari said hesitantly, and started eating up a bit of it. Fortunately, it hadn't really melted.  
"Hey, you saw it, right?" Catherine suddenly asked.  
"Mmm?" Kari looked curiously at Catherine.  
"The show." She said. "You saw Digimon too, right?"  
"Oh...yeah, I saw it too..." Kari said, looking ahead, as if she was seeing something really far ahead. A thought then came up to her.  
"What's your favourite character in the show?" Kari asked.  
"Well, it's Kari." Catherine answered happily.  
"Kari?" Kari asked, slightly surprised.  
"Sure! She's really awesome and great!" Catherine said.  
"What makes you think she's awesome?" Kari asked with some slight uncertainties.  
"Well, she's really kind and sweet. She always looked up to see the good in other people. In some ways, she kinda seems like an angel." Catherine said. "I...I even got a Gatomon doll as well..." she added with a slight blush.  
"Oh, really?" Kari asked with a new smile. "Well, it isn't that bad."  
Catherine smiled at Kari, relieved she wasn't mocking her.  
"She's your favourite character too, right?" Catherine asked.  
Kari was slightly taken by surprise about that one. "Well..." she started. But she was really unsure about that. "Yeah...I guess a bit...  
But...sometimes...she doesn't seem _that_ strong..." she said sadly.  
"Aw, come on! If you're talking about those times when she was getting taken by the Dark Ocean, then she did manage to beat it and get out. She's a really awesome character in the show." Catherine said.  
Kari remained pensive, but she kept a smile at what Catherine was saying.  
"Oh, I gotta go now! It's getting late!" Catherine suddenly said and leapt off the bench. She turned to Kari. "Will I see you again?" she asked.  
"Mmm? Well...perhaps..." Kari said.  
"Okay. Bye then!" Catherine said. She then started to turn and run away.  
"Wait!" Kari suddenly called.  
"Huh? What's wrong?" Catherine asked, looking curiously at her.  
"Thanks..." Kari said with a tired smile at her.  
"For what?" Catherine asked confusedly.  
"Oh...nothing." Kari said, slightly embarrassed with herself.  
"You're welcome!" Catherine said with a giggle and ran away.

Kari remained sitting, having finished her ice cream since a while now. She simply stared emptily ahead of herself, many things circling in her mind...  
"Kari?" a familiar voice came to her ears. She looked up to see Regan standing near her.  
"Regan?" she simply asked. For a moment, both looked a bit uncertain at each other, a bit confused.  
"...Mind if I sit?" Regan asked after a while.  
"Oh, sure..." Kari replied as she watched Regan sitting.  
"So...How are you doing?" Kari asked.  
"Better, thanks. Kylee explained to me a few things about what happened. So, you weren't doing anything special?" Regan said.  
"Oh, well...I was just walking around...and I met a little girl.  
You know...she looked a bit like me..." Kari said.  
"Well...who knows, it could be the 'you' from this world." Regan said.  
"Huh?" Kari was confused about this.  
"Oh, it's just that Kylee and I talked about other us, different versions of ourselves in other realities. You do remember that we met Taichi in the Digital World." Regan said.  
"Oh...so you mean...that Catherine could be the 'me' from this reality, and that there's an alternate Regan here too?" Kari said, realizing about it.  
"Catherine?" Regan asked.  
"Oh, the girl that looked like me. She's younger though. I think she had around my age back when I went in the Digital World for the first time..." Kari said.  
"So...did you and her got along well?" Regan asked, with a slight smile.  
"Well...kinda..." Kari said then she suddenly gasped.  
"What's wrong?" Regan asked, clearly worried.  
"Regan, look there!" Kari said, nearly panicked and pointing ahead of them.  
Regan looked, and he too gasped at what Kari was pointing.

A boy that was walking on the other side of the little park. But that boy was dressed in dark blue pants, with a flaming style coloured t-shirt along with white shoes. He had black hair pulled in a ponytail along with having brown eyes.  
Despite that he seemed to look a bit different, considering his clothing, there was no way neither Kari nor Regan could forget or mistake who it was.

Darius Duke. The leader of the Black Spear, the criminal gang that had kidnapped Kari and Kylee sooner in the morning...  
But...as far as they knew...

He should be dead...

"It's him! It is him!" Kari said, completely astonished, and very worried.  
"This doesn't make any sense!" Regan said. "He...he died right in front of us!" He too was completely astonished of that.  
Rising up from the bench, Regan tightened his fists as his expression hardened. Probably knowing what Regan intended, Kari hesitantly rose up too and followed Regan as he walked strait toward Darius...if it was him indeed...

"Darius Duke..." Regan said seriously as he approached the other boy.  
"Huh?" the other boy turned at him with some surprise, also noticing the slightly uncertain Kari who was partly standing behind Regan. "Is there something you'd want from me?"  
Regan frowned a bit. The boy did look like Darius, and he reacted to the name when he spoke it. But...  
"Aren't you a member of Black Spear?" Kari asked uncertainly.  
"What? Me? I'd never be one!" he said in rejection. "Haven't you heard that the entire gang seemed to have crumbled sooner in the morning? The police arrested a lot of them, but nobody knows how they suddenly crumbled." Darius added.  
That made Regan frown. Of course, considering the fact the he and the others had been responsible for the gang's having fallen...but how was the leader of the gang standing in front of them right now? Taking a look at Darius' arms, Regan saw that he had no black spear tattoos at all, and same for the one that was supposedly on his chest, the one that they could have noticed the spear end coming out of the shirt. And it would have been virtually impossible to remove a tattoo in only a few hours without anything noticing the results on the skin...

That didn't make any sense...  
"You don't have a twin brother, do you?" Regan asked.  
"No." Darius said, looking weirdly at Regan and Kari. "Is that for some hidden camera or what?"  
Kari and Regan looked at each other, utterly confused. Finally, they looked back at Darius. "No. Sorry, we just mistook you for someone else." Kari said.  
"Ah...okay..." Darius said. "Didn't seemed like someone you liked, eh?"  
"Not really." Regan said with a shrug.  
"Hey, are you guys Tamers?" Darius suddenly asked.  
"Huh...well, no..." Regan said.  
"Well, I'll get myself a digimon soon." Darius said. "And if you do get one, perhaps we could have a match. You look like nice guys." He added with a smile.  
"Yeah, perhaps..." Regan added with another shrug.  
"Well, goodbye then, Darius." Kari said. "If that's indeed your name."  
"No, you're right on it. I'm Darius Duke. Though I kinda wonder how you knew about me." Darius said.  
"Oh, never mind. Bye then." Regan said as he turned and walked away, followed by Kari.

"Now that's really, really weird..." Regan half-whispered to Kari. "How can Darius be alive? And he acted like he didn't know us at all. As if he never met us, or never was a part of Black Spear..."  
"I have no idea...but that's really weird...hold on...it's kinda like whatever has caused everyone in this city to forget about what happened when you were here the first time..." Kari replied.  
"Yeah, a lot like it..." Regan muttered.  
"Think we should tell Kylee and Riza about that?" Kari asked.  
"Well...perhaps not now. For now, let's try to get some rest from that day." Regan said.  
"Yeah, let's hurry a bit to get back to the apartment. It's starting to get cold." Kari said, rubbing her arms and slightly shivering.  
She then felt Regan's cloak being draped on herself and blushed slightly from that. "You don't need to do that..." Kari slightly muttered to Regan, not really looking at him, her cheek still slightly pink.  
"Come on. What's wrong with that?" Regan said with a little smile.  
"Hum well...that's really kind of you Regan..." Kari said with a small smile, slightly looking at him, who was looking ahead. She clutched the cloak tightly to better keep herself warm as they returned back to their 'hideout'...

---

Back at their hideout, Regan and Kari had taken a more appropriate meal for the evening, to the contrary what they had in the morning.  
"I wonder, in which way we could really repay Kylee and Riza..." Regan said, resting his chin on his hands as he was sitting at the table. "They have done a lot for us..."  
"Yeah, that's right..." Kari replied, sitting at the opposite side of Regan. "But...even then, there's not really anything we can do right now..." she added sadly.  
"Yeah..." Regan said grimly. "Aside from that 'impressive' Bio-Modify ability we have, that's kinda the only thing we have on us right now. Our partners are lost somewhere else and we don't have one inch of hint about their whereabouts..."  
"Gatomon..." Kari whispered sadly.  
"Wherever they are though...I'm sure they must be trying their hardest to get to us...They aren't gonna give in easily...and they probably wouldn't want us to lose hope too much..."  
"Yeah, you're probably right Regan..." Kari said. Then she yawned, putting a hand in front of her mouth. "Well...I think it'd be time to go sleep, right?" she asked tiredly.  
"Hum...wait a minute...we only have one bed and a couch..." Regan said with a frown. "Oh well, I'll take the couch." He added.  
A frown came on Kari's face. "Regan...do you really need to give of yourself for the others? You can have your right of comfort, you know." She said.  
"But Kari..." Regan said.  
She gave him a more serious look, one that would brook no questions. "Tonight, I'll take the bed, okay...but tomorrow, we'll exchange, and we'll continue that way." She said.  
"Well...sounds more okay to me...okay then..." Regan said.  
Kari looked a bit more relieved. "Mind if I take a shower first?" she asked.  
"Okay." Regan said, and Kari went up to the bathroom, but not before going in the bedroom, where the bags with the clothes bought recently were. "Oh, by the way, we bought a pyjama for you." Kari said as she came out of the bedroom with a light pink pyjama, and a towel before going in the bathroom. "It's in the bag on the bed." She added before closing the door.

Regan kindly nodded and went to the bedroom as he heard Kari starting up the shower. Rummaging through the mentioned bag, he found a light red coloured pyjama for him. At least it was of an appropriate size.  
As he checked on the couch, he noticed a part of it could unfold to make a small bed. Well...at least this was better than just the simple couch.  
But no doubt Kari would still insist on what she had just suggested. In a sense, she was right.  
As Kari was over with her shower, and came out dressed in her pyjama, Regan took his turn, making sure to mention about the new detail with the couch. She nodded about it, and he went in the bathroom, with his own pyjama, and another towel that Kari took out from a bag before handing it out to Regan and he took his own shower before getting out, ready to go to bed.

"Good night Kari."  
"Good night Regan."

As Kari went in the bedroom, Regan went to the couch bed, with a blanket before lying down, and letting out a tired sigh.  
"Well...I hope that it's going to be better tomorrow..." Regan muttered to himself before closing his eyes...

---

And as night came on the city, many people all went to sleep, all waiting for the next dawn and day...

Unaware of what was going to happen in the night...

---

Although everything seemed like an endless mix of green colors and many other visions, she could see things more clearly than anyone else.

But right now...her senses had noticed something peculiar...  
And if she wouldn't act soon...then it may be too late, for many innocents...

---

Kylee was running. That's all she was aware right now. A dread feeling of fear had crept in her mind, and running away was the only thing that came up to do. She looked back, to see some mass of _something_ dark that moved after her.  
She tripped, falling on the ground. Not having time to rise up, she looked back, to see the 'thing' above her.  
It opened a huge maw and lunged forward to swallow her whole...

---

With a large scream, she woke up, still drenched in sweat and shaking. She looked around, dreadfully panicked, hoping that no monstrosity was around...  
But fortunately, there was nothing...only the calm silence of the morning greeted her.  
Looking around just to be sure, Kylee started being more relieved...  
Until her eyes fell on the clock.

9:56 am

If she had school right now, Kylee would have been in one heck of a mess right now. But since right now, the school had been closed temporarily, that wasn't a problem.  
However, there was another troubling thing about that. She was expecting to be woken up sooner, at least around 8:00 am.

So, why didn't her mom or Impmon came up to wake her up?  
"Impmon?" she asked.  
She heard a small mumbling and noticed Impmon lying down on the floor...apparently still sleeping...

"Hey Impmon! Time to get up!" Kylee said.  
No answer from Impmon.  
She got down from the bed and picked up Impmon before shaking him. "Come on Impmon! Sleeping time's over!"  
Despite that his head bobbled in every direction as Kylee shook him, Impmon still remained asleep.  
"That's weird..." Kylee muttered to herself. She hurried to dress herself up and started climbing down the stairs to get in the kitchen, when she noticed that her mom was also still sleeping in her own bedroom.  
"Mom!" Kylee called out to her. But she didn't answered.  
"Now that's starting to be scarier..." she muttered again.

She went to the phone and dialled up Riza's number.  
For a while, no one answered, and Kylee put the phone down before dialling up again. This time, the number of Regan and Kari.

No answer as well, even when she waited around 5 minutes for them to answer. No doubt that the Digidestined _would_ have answered in a normal situation...but it seemed that it was anything but normal...

Taking an apple out of the fridge, Kylee soon ran outside, hurrying to eat it up as she ran outside in the city...which seemed dreadfully quiet...

Correct that, there was sound, a car's horn that was sounding...as if somebody was constantly pressing on it.  
Kylee ran up to where the sound came from, and noticed a car that had slammed in a building...the driver asleep on the wheel and constantly pressing on the horn.

"Sir! Wake up!" Kylee shouted to the man in the car. He didn't move either. Just like Impmon and her mother.

_"What's happening?"_ Kylee thought, clearly worried _"It's like if everyone in the entire city is still asleep!"_  
_"No, Regan and Kari. They have to be awake. Perhaps it has something to do with them!"_ she thought again, and started running for the Digidestineds' hideout.

---

She opened up the door with a bang, but what she saw didn't make her relieved. Only more worried.

She saw Regan sleeping on the couch bed, but judging from his expression, he didn't seem to have a good dream. At a few moments, he was actually shaking, if only briefly.  
She ran up to the bedroom, and saw Kari who was still sleeping. Unlike Regan, her expression was like everyone else she had noticed that had fallen asleep in the entire city.

"Kari! Kari, wake up! Please!" Kylee said, shaking Kari many times. But Kari didn't react, seemingly as much affected as anyone else in the city.

"No, no...What's happening?!? Come on! I can't be the only one awake right now!" Kylee said, stepping back from Kari, fear creeping in her. "What's wrong now? This can't be normal!"

_"No...it isn't..."_ a voice suddenly spoke...in Kylee's mind...  
"Huh?!?" Kylee looked around, searching for anyone that would have spoken...but not one was here. Only Regan who was sleeping and same for Kari. No one else was there...So who had talked?

_"I know what is happening right now, Kylee Henke..."_ the voice spoke again. This time, she identified it as a woman's voice, a voice that sounded almost dreamy.  
And there was something in the voice...that didn't seem to make the speaker...truly human...  
"Who are you? Where are you?" Kylee said, still looking around.  
_"I could say more, but for this, I would need to manifest myself much more...do you really think you will be able to handle it?"_ the woman's voice spoke.  
"Y-Yes..." Kylee answered.  
_"Very well..."_

A green mist slowly appeared out of nowhere, spreading around Kylee…and somehow seemed to _devour_ her surroundings, as if the entire apartment, Kari, and Regan vanished, everything replaced by the green mist…

And in the midst of the midst, one single form was slowly walking toward Kylee, slowly approaching…  
Kylee looked uncertainly toward the unknown approaching person…  
As it neared, Kylee could identify it…or part of its features that is…

It was a woman, tall and slim. She wore a long translucent robe of the color of green. As she approached more, Kylee saw her face.

A woman, possibly around 30 years…however if she did looked human…the color of her skin seemed to be a bit more greenish in tint. Long beautiful flowing hairs of the color of a deep emerald came out of the hood. Her beautiful face remained calm however there was one offsetting detail about her…about her eyes…

They were closed.

Even despite that there was no wind around, the beautiful and mysterious woman's robe continued to flutter as if there was one.  
No doubt that every part of herself, clothes, hair, skin…all of it were tinted in one shade or another one of green…

"Who…who are you?" Kylee asked, stunned by the mysterious woman's appearance and her unique beauty.  
"You may call me Ysera…the Lady of Dreams…" the woman answered.  
As she spoke, Kylee realized that she seemed to slightly fade and return, as if she was a ghost or a figment of her imagination…if she would have ever been able to imagine such a thing.  
"Lady of Dreams? I don't get it." Kylee said, a bit confused, then realizing something, she stared harder at the woman. "Have you done something to my city or what?!?" she asked.  
"No…" Ysera answered. "I did not..."  
"But who did this?" Kylee asked. "Do you know who it is?"  
"It should not be 'who', but 'what'…" Ysera spoke, her lids of her eyes still closed. Though she may not be really sure of that, Kylee could slightly notice that Ysera was moving her eyes beneath her lids, as if looking at some things that Kylee couldn't see.  
"What? What is 'what'?" Kylee asked.  
"A phenomenon…One that has fell upon all inhabitants of this town…  
Thanks to my powers, I managed to free you so you could awake." Ysera said.  
"What? But what kind of…thing…could affect an entire city?" Kylee asked  
"The Nightmare…" Ysera answered grimly.  
"The Nightmare?" Kylee asked.  
"As I constantly watch, and sometimes, affect the dreams of all sleepers, I can always see the lighter and darker ones. A balance in dreams…  
However…there is a dark phenomenon that has started to exist, that is a danger to the balance…  
It is called the Nightmare. No, it is not those simple nightmares that you may have sometimes when you sleep. The Nightmare is something far else…" Ysera explained.  
"…I see…" Kylee said, very uncertain.

From what she could realize, that Ysera, that Lady of Dreams, was something very powerful, that had a very long reach…and right now, there was probably something that was scaring it…That Nightmare thing…It was something that even seemed to gave pause to that 'woman''s powers…

"I will need your aid to go seek what is holding the Nightmare here…" Ysera said.  
"What? You want me to go in that thing? I don't even know what I have to do!" Kylee said.  
"The Nightmare is a random phenomenon…But there is something that seem to have hold it here…Normally, it would have simply passed over, without any true risk for you, aside from some slightly worser nightmares than usual…but this time, the Nightmare remained…And I know it is not a sentient being. Only a disturbance like one of those natural disasters, like tornadoes." Ysera added.  
"Oh…so that's not normal that the Nightmare is…'stuck' on my city, right?" Kylee asked.  
"Indeed…and that is why I need you to discover what it is, and aid me to free your city.  
As we speak, I am straining to protect all of the inhabitants of this city, but it may not last…and for that, I need others to seek the problem within…  
That is why I need you…" Ysera said.  
"Me?" Kylee said, pointing at herself.  
"Yes…Take this…" Ysera said, raising a hand, holding something inside.  
Kylee reached out and Ysera put something in her hand. As the Lady of Dreams removed her hand, Kylee looked at what she had given her.

It was a crystal…a green coloured one…  
"What am I supposed to do with that?" Kylee asked.  
"I will explain later…" Ysera said…and started to vanish completely.  
"No! Wait!" Kylee said.

But Ysera completely vanished…and soon after this, the mist completely vanished, and Kylee found herself back in the apartment that Regan and Kari were using as hideout. She was standing in the bedroom again, with Kari still looking asleep as before…  
Or trapped by the Nightmare in truth…

However, there was something different. When she looked at her hand, the crystal that Ysera had given her was still there. It then glowed.

"_I am sure you have been wondering why I chose you. Because you are quite receptive to dreams…even if you do not truly belong to it. This is why I reached out to you, to warn you, when Regan Astrasz and Kari Kamiya came again to this world…"_ Ysera's voice spoke in Kylee's mind again.

"Reached out…" Kylee repeated then she gasped, realizing what Ysera meant…  
Her strange dream back in school…

It had been Ysera's doing all along! She had actually sought to warn Kylee about Regan coming back! But…

"Well…I didn't really understood the message…" Kylee muttered, lowering her head a bit.  
"_Few can truly understand my calls when I send them as such…"_ Ysera's voice said again.  
But now, with this new discovery, it made Kylee have more faith in herself. Ysera had faith in her…and the Lady of Dreams actually trusted her…if Kylee was thinking right.  
"Alright, what do you want me to do?" Kylee asked.  
"_Alone, it may be extremely risky for you to go exploring what is affecting the Nightmare…So I will let you choose someone else I will attempt to free as well so that he or she can help you…"_ Ysera said.  
"Oh…someone else? And…I got to choose?" Kylee asked with a slight uncertainity.  
"_Whoever you believe may help you best…I will wait…but please do not take too much time…"_ Ysera spoke again.  
"Oh…okay…" Kylee said. But she was very much uncertain.

Who should she choose? Impmon? Riza? Veemon? Regan? Kari?  
Those were the first persons to come in mind. Who else may really be able to help?  
But right now, Riza, Impmon and Veemon were a bit away from her. Getting to them may take some time…and perhaps she may not have that time…  
So…Regan…or Kari?  
"I know Regan has often been strong…" Kylee whispered…  
"_About him…There is something odd…I am unable to truly reach out to him…I'm afraid I cannot manage to free him if you would want him to help you…"_ Ysera said.  
That sits not very well for Kylee. But still…  
"Kari." She said.  
"_The Digidestined Child of Light?"_ Ysera asked.  
"Well, if that's how you call Kari, yeah, that's her. Can you free her?" Kylee asked.  
"_Very well. Place the crystal in one of her hands, and I will do the rest."_ Ysera ordered.  
Kylee did as Ysera requested, opening one of Kari's hands and put the crystal in the palm before closing it and then stepped back a bit.  
As soon as she did that, the crystal suddenly flared of a bright and powerful green light that forced Kylee to shield her eyes.  
Then the light ceased and Kylee could look back at Kari.  
She heard her move a bit. "Kari?" Kylee asked.  
"…Huh…Kylee?" Kari asked weakly, slowly opening her eyes. She started rising up, coming to a sitting position. "What are you doing here?" she asked.  
Kylee looked slightly uncertain. "Uh, well…it's kinda a long-" she started, but suddenly, the green crystal in Kari's hand glowed again, startling both girls.  
However, it was Kari that looked the most surprised. "Huh…Ysera?" she said.  
"What? You know about her?" Kylee asked.  
"No, no…it's not that…" Kari suddenly said, looking strait at Kylee. "That woman just said her name was Ysera. She's talking to me."  
"Oh…" Kylee said, realizing that Ysera had decided to hurry things up about the explanations.  
"The Nightmare?" Kari said. For Kylee, it was as if Kari was on a phone conversation with someone else, because try as she might, there was no way Kylee was able to hear one thing of what Ysera could say to Kari.  
The look of confusion on Kari's face turned worried. "You mean…everyone? All of them?" she asked. There was a very slight pause. Kylee could almost imagine that Ysera was answering something like "All of them."  
"But, I don't get it. Why is Kylee here, right now?" Kari asked. Another pause, much longuer this time as Kari continued to listen to Ysera's words.  
"You want us to…stop that thing?" Kari asked with clear worries. Yet another pause, shorter than the previous one.  
"So…we're kinda like your only hope for the city?" Kari said.  
She sighed sadly. "Okay…" she said and rose up from the bed and handed the crystal to Kylee.  
"What does she want?" Kylee asked as she took the crystal.  
"Oh, I think she'll tell you. I'll just get dressed first." Kari replied as she took her clothes.  
As she entered the bathroom, Ysera's voice spoke in Kylee's mind again. "_Once she is ready, I will bring you in the Emerald Dream."_  
"The Emerald Dream? What's that?" Kylee asked.  
"_The world of the sleepers. It is there, that your mind and soul goes when you sleep. You could consider it as an idyllic, illusionary version of your world…But be wary. I already warned Kari about this.  
My realm is beautiful, very beautiful. And it can be so much, that you may be enticed to sleep there forever…"_ Ysera explained, finishing a bit grimly.  
Kylee gulped a bit. She never really thought that such 'world' could be dangerous. "But, since we always go there when we sleep, why aren't we taken if it can be so dangerous?" Kylee asked.  
"_Because you are not truly conscious in the Dream…"_ Ysera answered. "_This time, you will be fully conscious, and thus be truly able to beheld my realm…"_  
The bathroom's door opened as Kari walked out, dressed in her casual clothes, not those she had recently bought with Kylee, but those that could be easily referred as her 'Season 2 clothes'.  
"Alright, we're ready." Kylee said.  
"_Both of you must hold this crystal, and then I will be able to bring you to my realm…"_ Ysera said.  
"Kari, you have to hold up the crystal as well." Kylee said to Kari. She nodded and put her hand on it as well.  
"Okay, we're ready." She said.  
"_Prepare yourselves…"_ Ysera said...  
And the crystal flared again, its light seemingly engulfing both girls this time…

---

A strange feeling of displacement hit Kylee as she closed her eyes to protect herself from the light…

And then the next thing she registered was the lack of ground beneath her feet.

She opened her eyes to see Kari right in front of her, as expected…but she was green coloured…as was everything, absolutely everything around her.

Everything was of a green tint in colouring…  
But the other detail that Kylee noticed…is that both girls were actually…'standing' in mid-air…and with no floor beneath their foot, as if the apartment had completely vanished…

And gravity took its toll on Kylee as she suddenly fell, and started screaming…  
Only to be grabbed at one hand by Kari.  
"Kylee! Get a hold of yourself!" Kari said.  
Kylee looked up to see that somehow, Kari was actually floating.  
"Hey! How can you float and not me?" Kylee said.  
"I'm floating because I _want_ to. You don't realize it? This is the world of dreams, of the mind." Kari said. "In a way, we can do anything here…provided we want it.

So, if you want to float, or fly, you just have to _will_ it…" she added.  
Kylee realized what she meant. She tried concentrating, wanting not to fall anymore…  
And suddenly, she felt no gravity anymore, as if weightless…  
Kari released her hold on her hand...and Kylee noticed that she was floating too!  
"That's just so…awesome!" Kylee said, grinning like a child.  
And soon after, she suddenly flew up in the sky, spinning and giggling happily.  
"Kylee! Wait up!" Kari suddenly said, but not as happy as Kylee…but actually worried. "Stop now!"

She suddenly flew up as well and stood in front of Kylee.  
"Huh? What are you doing Kari? What's wrong with you?" Kylee asked.  
"Did you forget Ysera's warning?" Kari asked. "She said her world could be so beautiful that you could want to stay here forever…And that's what you may have started to do…Nobody would want to lose you here…" she added sadly.  
"Oh…sorry…" Kylee said, slightly lowering her head, and willed herself to land down on the ground, soon imitated by Kari.

Now, on the ground, she looked around. And truly, it made her more confused about 'Ysera's realm'…if that was the case…

Phoenix City was completely gone. There were no traces of the city whatsoever…  
As if the city actually never existed in this realm. The mountains in the distance looked sharper than the one in the real world. Everything looked calm…but most of all, it looked like if no human or truly sentient beings ever were on this world…

"It's the same world…but without humans' presence…" Kari said, slowly realizing the truth. "The Emerald Dream…is what our worlds would be…if humans and other animals never existed…"

A beautiful, calm landscape filled with many flowers and other plants, all blooming healthy existed instead of the city.

"It's just so…wonderful…" Kari said, eyeing their surrounding with wonder. "So peaceful…"  
"Kari…Remember what Ysera said…" Kylee warned worryingly.  
"Oh…yeah…sorry…" Kari said, returning her attention on Kylee.  
"But…I don't get it…where's the problem? Everything here looks okay." Kylee said.  
"There's surely something wrong here…Ysera wouldn't want to call us without a really good reason." Kari said.  
"Well, whatever's the problem, I want to see what's wrong!" Kylee said.

And suddenly, the landscape rippled…and the real world seemingly appeared over the landscape.

Phoenix City appeared, seemingly replacing the flower fields. Yet, if 'reality' seemed to have replaced the 'dream', everything was still tinted in green.

And in all of this…a huge dark stormy cloud floated above the entire city.  
In fact, many things around, buildings and such looked distorted…more nightmarish…

A huge mind-splitting pain suddenly flared in both Kari and Kylee's heads and both fell on their knees, holding their head in pain.

"Wh…What's wrong?" Kylee said with a pain voice.  
Kari said nothing, trying to fight the pain, but she was clearly as much affected as Kylee.  
"_Fight the pain…the Nightmare is not conscious…but it seeks to affect whatever is in its field of influence…and you are in it now…You must fight the pain, fight the Nightmare if you want to struggle and succeed to discover what is causing this terrible problem in your world…"_ Ysera's voice came into their heads, though it nearly seemed to sound in a screeching, that pained the girls even more. Still they clearly heard it well…  
"F-Fight it…" Kari said. "We have to...For everyone else…  
T-Think…about your friends…" Kari managed to say.  
Kylee wasn't sure to get what Kari meant, but she focused on those friends that mattered to her. Impmon, Riza, Veemon…along with Regan and Kari. And even possibly Lizomon and Gatomon…

Soon the pain started to fade to nearly non-existent…yet only a small part of it remained, but it was easily tolerable now. Kylee slowly rose again, and looked around, clearly disturbed. She noticed that Kari also managed to fight the pain and had succeeded.  
"You're still feeling it, right?" Kylee asked worryingly.  
"Yeah…I don't think the pain will completely fade here…it is part of the Nightmare…" Kari said.

Then, another kind of sound came to their ears…screams, pained screams and screeches…  
Horrified, Kylee realized what those screams were…

All of the inhabitants of the city…all of them probably screaming in pain, or in horror. Each of them trapped because of the terrible phenomenon…  
And that also included Riza, Regan, Veemon and Impmon…  
"You're…you're hearing that…right?" Kylee said, fear creeping in her.  
"Y-yeah…" Kari said. She looked as much troubled as Kylee. "But…let's try to find what's causing the Nightmare to stay here…and stop it…"  
"If we can…" Kylee said.  
"No. We mustn't try to think like that Kylee. If we do, we may condemn all of us…" Kari said.  
"Oh…I'll try…" Kylee said.

Both girls started walking around the distorted city, the screams still heard in the distance, all coming from various directions…  
And clearly, all of this was very much disturbing and troubling the two girls.

But as they continued to walk around, in the distorted city, they both started to feel something…

"Do you feel that Kari?" Kylee said.  
"I do…" Kari said. "It's just…wrong…"

A wrongness…something that should not be…

"I think we found it…whatever is causing the Nightmare to remain here…" Kari said.  
"Okay, let's get to it and kick it out." Kylee said, tightening a fist.  
Both girls turned toward the parks, where they felt the wrongness increase…  
As they continued, the trees inside the parks only looked every more twisted than before. Clearly, the source of the problem was here…  
"Hey Kari, look there…" Kylee said, pointing to something farther ahead.

One lone figure standing motionless…and from what both girls could feel…that was the source of the wrongness…and of what was blocking the Nightmare from leaving…

"Hey you! What are you doing here?!?" Kylee yelled at the figure.  
"Kylee, be careful…" Kari silently said to Kylee, putting a hand on her shoulder. There was definitively something not right about that person…

As they approached a bit, they saw that the person had its back turned to them. But it was dressed in a cloak, which looked shredded at the ends at the feet.

And it turned at the girls, showing its identity as the hood fell off the face…  
And both girls gasped and stepped back when they saw who it was.

"Regan?!?" Kari said.

The face looked like Regan, but all of his clothes looked more shredded and damaged than usual.

"No…it can't be you…it can't…" Kari said.  
"Wait a minute…" Kylee said. "I'd want to see the real colors! That would help us!"  
And suddenly, the green tint that permeated everything faded, the original colors of everything around becoming more present…The huge dark cloud was still present in the sky…but now, there was something different about Regan who was standing in front of them…

"I should have known…" Kylee said, angered.

Regan's hairs were not brown, but gray. His eyes were blood red, same for the cloak. Along with that, he wore gray gloves, purple shirt, a dark sickly green coloured vest, and black pants along with gray and black shoes…  
This was not Regan Astrasz at all…

"Ragnarok…" Kari said, eyeing the Regan look-a-like with both fear and contempt. "How can you be alive?"  
"Alliiiivvveeee?" Ragnarok spoke in a very odd speech. He didn't even really seem like…himself…  
"_A fragment…a remnant of him…"_ Ysera's voice spoke in Kylee and Kari's minds. "_Even if he was destroyed, the rage, the hatred of his soul was not truly destroyed, and a minor fragment was trapped here, where he was destroyed. And that hatred…that rage filled with pain has attracted the Nightmare here…_

We could say…this is Ragnarok's last plague…"

"Darn it…even if we beat you before Ragnarok, it looks like you couldn't really bite the dust…And it looks like we'll have to finish that…" Kylee said.

Ragnarok remained still, head low…then he suddenly unleashed a huge screech before throwing his arms at the two girls, and both his arms suddenly stretched, turning into large torrent of flames that went for both girls.

Kylee jumped and floated upward while Kari brought her hands defensively in front of herself as the flames engulfed her.

"Kari!" Kylee shouted.

Ragnarok roared and charged strait toward where Kari was and threw a punch…which was blocked by a Gatomon-like glove.

Kari, in her Bio-Modify form, held up Ragnarok's hands as he struggled against her. "I really wished that you were gone Ragnarok, that Regan had managed to deal with you…but it seems that we'll have to this…for him…" she said before suddenly raising one foot, striking Ragnarok in the face and propelling him a bit upward.

But as she tried to punch him, he suddenly flew backward and landed, a mad grin appearing on his face.  
He then ripped off his cloak…as his body started changing…  
His hands turned into black claws, long black horns grew out on the side of his head, and a long black tail could be seen in his back…  
"What's he doing?" Kylee asked, floating a few feet near Kari.  
"He copied Regan's Bio-Modified form…and adapted it as BlackLizomon…" Kari said.  
Ragnarok yelled before throwing his arms aside and electricity flowed on his before two rips in his back appeared…and two large wings grew out. The claws on his hands and the horns also grew longer, stronger.

"Now I think he digivolved…right?" Kylee asked.  
"Right…He's on the Champion level like me…" Kari said.  
Ragnarok madly yelled before charging at Kari. Kari readied to attack.  
"Wait! What am I supposed to do?!?" Kylee asked.  
"Use your imagination!" Kari said as she ran up to meet Ragnarok, and crouched low to attempt a leg sweep, striking Ragnarok on his feet and making him stumbled right behind Kari. But as he fell, he threw down on hand to stabilize and rise himself before turning to face Kari again, who glared at him with a Gatomon-like glare.

A large fiery blast exploded on Ragnarok's back, throwing him forward as it surprised him. Kari, also surprised by what just happened, hurried to charge forward, and slashed at Ragnarok's torso before lifting him and throwing him above and behind her.

As he wailed while being thrown, Kari looked behind her to see who attacked Ragnarok…

And it was Kylee…  
With red slightly tattered gloves in her hands, along with a red bandanna at her neck…and a purple tail coming out of her back…along with, no doubt, Impmon's ears.

"What? You said to use my imagination." She said with a shrug. "Couldn't I imitate you as well?" she asked.

"Well…never mind…at least it's not for real, like me and Regan…" Kari said with a frown. "Let's just get rid of him."  
"Okay." Kylee said.  
Ragnarok yelled as he flew back down again. He clasped his hands together, gathering dark energy in them before pointing his open palms at the two girls. Two balls of dark energy flew out of his hands.

While Kari skilfully dodged one ball, Kylee snapped her gloves fingers together, creating a flaming spark which turned in a fireball that flew at one of the dark energy ball and exploded on it.

"Hehe, that's kinda cool…" she said with a sly smile, too much reminding of Impmon. "Hey wait a minute. I better not get too much like Impmon, damnit…" she muttered to herself.

Ragnarok landed hard on the ground, eyeing the two girls with clear hatred. If there was indeed rage, anger in his eyes, along with some intelligence…there indeed seem to have a lack of soul…  
Ysera was awfully true…the Ragnarok in front of them was not even the real one…but a meager remnant of the monstrosity that he was…but still a potent danger…

Ragnarok roared again before rearing his wings, then flapping them hard toward the girls, sending out a strong wing, and followed by dark electrical blasts unleashed by his wings.  
Both girls leapt out of the way, but one of the multiple electric bolts struck Kari on the leg and she fell on the ground.  
"Kari, are you all right?" Kylee asked as she came up Kari.  
"Watch out!" she warned. Ragnarok charged strait at them with a mad sneer. Kylee threw herself in the way, attempting to block him with her arm, and he impacted hard on her, pushing easily throwing her back. But Kari lunged from below and struck him with her uninjured leg before slashing her claws at his face, and left multiple red marks on it.

Ragnarok, his face thrown back due to the claw strike of Kari, looked back down at her, the wounds on his face slowly vanishing…  
"Down!" Kylee yelled. And Kari obeyed, throwing herself down just as a large fireball flew and exploded on Ragnarok, blasting him in smoke.

"Can you walk Kari?" Kylee asked as she came back to Kari.  
"Yeah, I think so." Kari said.  
Suddenly, two horrifyingly long arms stretched out of the smoke and grabbed both of the girls by their neck, lifting them up in the air.

Ragnarok stepped out of the smoke, burnt and even more scrapped, which didn't made him look better, his arms unusually stretched and as they held the two girls hard. He growled like a beast as he tried to crush their necks.

Both Kylee and Kari struggled to prevent Ragnarok from killing them, but the effort was proving to be a really hard one. Kylee was finding it slowly more difficult to breathe, and Kari wasn't in a better state as well.

"_No…we can't fail…we can't…"_ Kari thought in despair. "_My friends…Gatomon…it can't end like this!!!"_  
"Anyone…help…" Kari managed to say.  
"_Come on…"_ a voice suddenly whispered in her mind…But not Ysera's…

"_Catherine?"  
"Kari! Help!"_ her voice suddenly said.

Kari gasped and suddenly screamed. "Nooooooooo!!!"

Something at her right hand started glowing…before a huge flash of light erupted from her, startling Ragnarok who released his grip on Kylee and Kari, seemingly pained by the light as he stumbled back.  
Kylee fell on the floor, huffing and catching her breath before she looked at Kari…who still floated in the air, covered in light.

One final flash of light erupted from her, causing Kylee to look away…then her eyes widened as she looked back at Kari…

She floated down, eyes closed and filled with an unusual calmness…However the real detail that really surprised Kylee was something else.

Kari had lost her Gatomon tail, gloves and ears…only to be replaced something else…  
Instead of her usual gloves, she was now wearing long white ones…  
Her hairs had also grown to a greater length, while she also wore white boots. Also, a pink coloured thin cloth line was partly wrapped around her wrists, floating behind her.  
And with that, she also had eight large feathered wings coming out of her back…

"Kari…you digivolved…" Kylee said, easily recognizing how the gloves, wings, boots and the cloth line that normally belonged to Gatomon's Ultimate level…Angewomon…

Though there was a slightly odd detail: Kari lacked Angewomon's suit and her helmet.  
Still, Kylee guessed it wouldn't mean Kari was weaker.

Ragnarok growled at Kari before charging at her.  
Eyes still closed, Kari brought her hands in front of her before clapping them together, in a smiliar fashion to Angewomon's Heaven's Charm attack.

A pink glow came out of her hands before she separated her hands and extended them to her sides, drawing a long pink arc in front of her, as a vertical pink line of energy also appeared before both the line and the horizontal energy arc of energy flew at Ragnarok, shaped more like a pink coloured cross.

Ragnarok stopped and folded his wings in front of him, obviously seeking to protect himself from the attack as he got enveloped in the pink light that then exploded on him, a loud pained shriek coming out of him.

Kari let out a tired sigh and opened her eyes. "I just hope it can be enough…but knowing Ragnarok, he's probably not gone yet…" she said.  
"Why's tha-oh yeah…" Kylee said, rising up and looking toward the smoke, pointing a glove to be ready to strike.

A large serpentine form made of flames surged out of the smoke, but suddenly, multiple energy blasts flew out from behind Kari and Kylee, along with a few fire balls, and exploded on the flaming form, causing it to recoil itself.

Surprised, the girls looked behind them to see two new persons coming, yet quite familiar…and unique.

"Hey girls!" Regan shouted. However, he had drastically changed. The lower halves of his legs and arms were covered in metal, cybernetic limbs that ended in long metallic claws. Two larges metallic wings came out of his back instead of his cloak, and even a pair of jet thrusters were slightly visible in his back and the horns on his head were also covered in metal.

As for Riza…he had changed as well, now actually having Flamedramon's knee pads, a mask much similarly made, feet covering that were also made similar to Flamedramon's. He also wore Flamedramon's chest plate and the same 'gauntlets' than Flamedramon, though more adapted to his hands since it had five claws instead of three.

"Regan? Riza? How are you here?" Kylee asked.  
"Some woman named Ysera helped us come here." Riza said.  
"Yeah, we can kinda got…well…you can guess it…" Regan said with a shrug. He then eyed Kari with some surprise, actually really noticing her changes. "You digivolved?"  
"Yeah…and so does you…again…" Kari said, eyeing with with curiosity.

A roar interrupted them as Ragnarok, in flames charged at them.  
"Let's just finish this! We'll talk later!" Regan said, pointing his arms toward Ragnarok, and two slots opened on his cybernetic parts on his arms to reveal two small cannon barrels.  
"Right." Kylee said.  
Riza threw his right hand backward, bursting in flames, then threw it forward, sending out a volley of fire balls.  
Kylee snapped her fingers, sending out a fire ball of her own while Regan's arm cannons shot out multiple multi-coloured energy blasts toward Ragnarok.  
And finally, Kari raised her right arm, before the wings on it stretched themselves, Bringing her left hand to her right arm, a white energy arrow appeared on her arm before she released it at Ragnarok.

Ragnarok got struck by all the attacks, stumbling down before he finally got impaled by Kari's 'Celestial Arrow' and finally shrieked one last time before exploding in flames.  
While Kylee and Riza slightly protected themselves from the explosion, Regan and Kari did the same, using their wings for that.

Finally, the fire completely faded…and a huge wind flowed out from nowhere, pushing the dark clouds over the city with relative ease, completely dispelling them…

"It's over…" Kari said, clearly relieved, with a tired smile.  
"I must congratulate you, young children…" Ysera's voice spoke before the woman herself appeared out in front of them. "I am truly grateful of your actions."  
"Oh well, we simply did we had to do." Kylee said, rubbing a hand behind her head. "Oh…also, we aren't keeping those…'states', right?" she asked with some slight uncertainities.  
"If you are referring to you and Riza's Bio-Modify status…no, you will not keep them, since you were never affected by the 'appropriate' conditions, like Regan and Kari.  
Though, I think there is not doubt that both Regan and Kari did digivolved…" Ysera answered.  
"Oh yeah, how did you digivolved again Regan?" Kylee asked.  
"I'm not even sure how I did it." Regan said with an uncertain shrug. "Anyway…" he looked at Ysera again, his gaze more serious. "I'd like to thank you for helping us as well."  
Ysera simply nodded.  
"But…there's something I'd like from you." Regan added.  
"Something?" Ysera asked, cocking her head aside a little bit. "You truly are acting a bit arrogant, considering who I am."  
"I know." Regan said. "But perhaps you could help me and Kari, about something else this time…"  
"And what could it be?" Ysera asked, her expression neutral.  
Kari slightly looked at Regan with some hesitation.  
"Our partners…Lizomon and Gatomon…Do you know where they are? Perhaps you could bring them to us? Surely, you could do something about them!" Regan said.  
Ysera remained silent.  
"Please!" Regan pleaded. "You have to help us!"  
"Despite the importance you may have, Regan Astrasz, do you honestly believe I can allow such small request?

No. I cannot." Ysera said neutrally.  
"But…" Regan started.  
"It is enough now. Each of us has done its respective share. Thus, it is over, and you no longuer need to be here." Ysera said on the same previous tone and vanished again.  
"Wait!" Regan started and stepped forward.

A huge flash of light engulfed every of the Tamers and Digidestineds.

---

Kylee opened her eyes with a gasp, and she noticed she was lying on the floor…and so was Kari, right in front of her…But Kari had a more saddened expression…

"Damnit!" Regan cursed from the living room. "Damnit!"  
Now Kylee understood what had just made Kari sad…

---

"You can't be serious!!!"  
"That's the truth…Darius is alive…"  
"But somehow…he doesn't remember us…"

Evening had come and the Tamers were taking a dinner with the Digidestineds, at their appartment. And now, they discussed about the odd events that happened prior to this mysterious incident and encounter with Ysera.

"It was him…" Kari continued. "I'm sure of it…but…how he's alive…I have really no idea…"  
Kylee remained silent while she was staring at her plate.  
"Never thought Ragnarok would have still left one little remain of himself…good thing he's completely out now…" Regan said.  
"Kylee? What's wrong?" Kari asked.  
"Oh…" Kylee started. "I was thinking about Ysera, and those things in that Emerald Dream…  
Regan, do you really think she would have been able to find Lizomon and Gatomon?"  
"No doubt about it." Regan said before taking a bit of his mashed potatoes. After swallowed what he ate, he continued. "She's probably able to know about everyone sleeping, thus their minds and soul. That means she should have been able to easily find Lizomon and Gatomon, no matter how big the universe is…"  
"But…she was kinda kind to us, and a lot pretty…so why did she went all neutral about that?" Riza said.  
"Pretty? You actually gaped when you saw her Riza." Regan said with a smirk, and Riza blushed at the remark.  
"She probably has more to deal with…She must have bigger concerns than just the desires of two kids…" Kari said sadly.  
The others looked at her silently.  
"Considering who she is…the Lady of Dreams…her powers must be really huge…but that means, she must have huge concerns, things much bigger than just us to deal with…" Kari continued. "We'll have to continue by ourselves…to try to find them by ourselves…  
All of us have their own parts to do, right?" she finished, looking at the others.  
"…Yeah…you're right…" Regan said.

Suddenly, the computer in the next room started beeping before the screen opened.  
All of the kids looked toward it, surprised.

And suddenly, a voice was heard, coming out of the computer screen.

"Hello? Is that thing working? Anyone?"

It was Lizomon.

"Lizomon!" Regan shouted, nearly leaping out of his chair and running to the computer screen.  
"Regan! It is you! Glad to hear your voice!" Lizomon's voice said happily. Kylee, Riza and Kari also hurried up to the computer.  
And the screen finally flared to life, with Lizomon now visible in the screen, filling out most of it…  
"Lizomon! Where are you?" Regan asked worryingly.  
"Hum well…we're kinda confused about it…but we're still searching a way back to the Digital World…" Lizomon said with some confusion.  
"'We'?" Kari said. "Gatomon's with you?" she asked hurryingly.  
"Kari!" Gatomon's voice came out before Lizomon moved himself a bit and Gatomon's face showed in the screen, and she clearly was happy to see her partner.  
"Gatomon…" Kari said, a smile coming on her face.  
"About going back to the Digital World…we aren't there…" Regan said grimly.  
"Huh?" Lizomon asked on the screen.  
"We're on a Real World…Riza and Kylee. That reminds you of anything?" Regan said.  
"Oh…never thought you would have end up somewhere else…but at least, that's a lot better for you two than for Gatomon and me." Lizomon said with some confidence, with turned to some uncertainties. "And sorry about the eject thing…it was kinda the only way I thought about to escape that guy."  
"What do you mean?!?" Regan pressed on.  
A growling sound was then heard, coming from the screen. Gatomon started to look away. "Lizomon! They're here again!" she said.  
"What? Who are 'they'?" Kari asked.  
"Sorry, but time's up!" Lizomon said. "Gotta close this before they could notice you or any possible way to you!" Then they saw him pull back his hand, balled in a fist…  
And he struck the screen, on his side, which caused the screen on the Digidestineds and the Tamers' side to go blank.

"Lizomon…Lizomon! Answer damnit!!!" Regan said, shaking the screen.  
"No…Gatomon…" Kari said, tears forming at the edge of her eyes.  
Riza and Kylee remained silent at they watched all of this.  
What possibly could have attacked the two digimon, and where could they be?  
Kari started crying rather loudly while Regan remained seemingly shocked, his fists slammed on the computer's table as he looked at the now blank screen…  
Even Impmon and Veemon remained silent from the events that just happened.

"Regan…" Kylee started. "At least…we know something…that they aren't gone…"  
"Yeah!" Impmon quickly added. "They're strong guys! They won't let get themselves easily! They know you care for them, and they wouldn't want to dissapoint you!"  
"You know…in all of this…I think Ysera did considered your request…at least a small part of it…" Riza suddenly said, thoughtful.

That made all the others pause. Regan looked at Riza, his expression half-surprised and half-shocked while Kari, still mixed between sadness and newfound surprise, stopped crying to look at him.  
"What do you mean?" Kari asked, her voice sounding troubled.  
"Regan, you wanted Ysera to find them…perhaps she managed to do something so that they could talk to us, even for a little bit…and at least show that they weren't gone…that they are still alive, trying to get to you…" Riza explained.  
"In other words…" Kylee said, slowly realizing the strange truth. "She managed to keep your hopes in a better state…  
She kept your dreams alive…What she does best…"

"Our dreams…" Regan repeated. A small, dark smile came on the corner of his mouth. "Heh…seems I was a bit wrong about her…I guess I'll have to apologize to her next time I see her…"  
"Perhaps she already knows…" Kari said, still sad. "But what I'd really dream for is to be with Gatomon again…at least I would feel better. Going back to the Digital World without her…I can't do that…"  
"So do I…without Lizomon…I can't either…" Regan said darkly.  
"At least guys…Ysera did the best she could for you…  
She showed you that your dreams aren't really out of reach…that you can still have some hope…" Veemon said. "So you gotta hold on to it…"  
"I guess so…" Kari said.

And silence came again among them…

---

Somewhere far beyond, in a much different place…  
A world was in ruins…dark digimon running amok.

Yet…some humans and digimon sought to struggle against them, still giving out some resistance.

While many kids with digimon were struggling against a Machinedramon, the huge machine digimon laughed, at how his opponents were weak compared to him…

And suddenly, blasts of flames appeared out of nowhere, consuming the Machinedramon until it left absolutely nothing…

One single form, barely a shadow among others in this ruined world kept his gaze toward where the Machinedramon was before it walked away, unnoticed by anyone.

"Not here…Then…where?" the figure muttered to itself.  
Then, it paused and turned to its left. "I know you are there. Show yourself." The figure muttered.

"I am not here to threaten you, Wiseful One." Another deep voice spoke from the shadows.

"Eranikus…" the thin figure spoke. "What are you doing here?"  
"I bring word from my mistress. She said you would be interested by such, and it concerned your search."  
"Tell me more…"


	7. Dancing with darkness

"_We are all afraid of the unknown. Let's not deny that fact. What we do not understand, we fear it. The darkness is one such thing. Even with what is known today about it, there is still much fear about it, of darkness' association with evil.  
There is more to darkness than it seems in truth…But even then…  
Light has to be careful…if it does not desire to be snuffed out…"_

**Chapter 7 : Dancing with darkness**

The look in Regan and Kari's faces, yesterday night, was just purely shocking.  
For a moment, they had been in contact with their partners, and the bonds between them could have easily been noticed…  
But when the link was broken, it nearly seemed that the two Digidestineds' will had been extremely broken.  
Even if Riza and Kylee, along with their digimon, had spoken some reassuring words to them yesterday, it didn't seem that neither Kari nor Regan were truly convinced.

"I kinda wonder…if Ysera hasn't done more harm to them than really helping them…" Riza said to Kylee. Both of them were walking together with their digimon. They hadn't really gone to see Regan and Kari right now, who had wanted to remain alone.  
"It does seem that she actually did that. Was it the right thing to do?" Kylee asked, sounding discouraged.  
"That Ysera kinda seems a lot weird from what you told us…" Veemon said with some worries.  
"There's one thing I'm sure about her…is that she's not human…but something else…" Kylee added, seemingly sad.  
"Kylee…" Riza started, putting himself in front of her and taking her by the shoulders. "Kylee…I don't want that you be sad like that…" he said. "You don't have too…"  
"I know…" Kylee said with a sniff. "But it's Regan and Kari…

Something that really seems horrible happened to them. And that shouldn't have happened. They don't deserve that…" she said.  
"I know…" Riza said.  
"I think we should do something for them, right Riza?" Kylee added.  
"Right…but…are you sure about that?" Riza asked.  
"If nobody does it, who will? Nobody else knows them like we do. We must help them." Kylee replied, her partly sad eyes looking strait at Riza's.  
Riza let go of Kylee and looked a bit down. "Yeah…but what could we do?" he said, starting to walk again.  
"Hum, well…I guess it would have to be something to take their attention off a bit from what they're thinking right now…perhaps something really unusual…" Kylee said.  
"Well…They must have seen a lot of things, but what do you think we could-" Riza said, but he got cut off as he bumped in someone he didn't noticed, considering he was looking at Kylee, and he fell on the floor.  
"Oh, Riza, are you okay?" Kylee asked.  
Impmon though, who was a bit behind, looked strait at the one Riza had bumped into. "What the…Darius Duke?!?" Impmon said

"Huh?!?" Kylee looked right at the other person, and noticed that Impmon was right. It was him, though, as Kari and Regan had said, he no longer had his tattoos.  
"Uh…" Darius started, rubbing his own head from the shock he got then he noticed Kylee and Riza. "Hey, you're Kylee Henke and Riza Ryuzaki! The city's best Tamers!"  
"Uh yeah, that's us!" Kylee said with a grin, though some uncertainties were present in her mind, concerning Darius…  
"Never thought you two would know me." Darius said as he rose up, imitated by Riza and Kylee.  
"Well, a few friends told us about you." Kylee said.  
"Aren't they by any chances a boy with a cloak and a girl with a bang in her face?" Darius asked.  
"Yeah, that's them." Riza said. "Well, I guess we gotta go, we kinda haven't-"  
"Wait. Perhaps I could help you. I kinda overheard what you were talking about. I'd like to help you about those friends that seem to have a problem." Darius interrupted.  
"What? You'd want to help us?" Impmon asked. He seemed to have doubts in Darius' honesty.  
"Hey, what's wrong with me wanting to help?" Darius asked, slightly offended.  
"Hum, no, it's nothing…" Kylee interrupted uneasily. "It's just…I don't think you could really help us…"  
"Ah, too bad…I'd kinda hoped that I and my friends' restaurant along with our small music band would have helped…" Darius said.  
"Wait a minute…" Kylee said, raising a finger. "What did you said?"  
"Restaurant and music band." Darius said with a slight smile.  
"You know…I think you _could_ help us…" Kylee said with a growing smile, and a cunning one…  
"Say, wouldn't you mind helping out for a…"

---

"A DATE?!?"

Both Kari and Regan were astonished…and were blushing fiercely.

"Yup!" Kylee said, crossing her arms in her back and happily talking, with an uncertain Riza and Veemon, along with a grinning Impmon. "Don't you think you guys could try to get a nice night? We just happened to find a guy who owns a restaurant with some friends, along with a small music band. Don't you think that'd be nice to spend out one nice night?" she asked.  
"Spend one tranquil night, yes…" Regan said, pacing back and forth in between Kylee and Kari, his cheeks still tinted with red, along with Kari's.  
"But you want us to go in some restaurant like as if dating?" Regan added, looking strait at Kylee, though having some difficulties staring strait at her, considering what she just said to him and Kari.  
"But…Regan and I are just friends…" Kari said her cheeks still red.  
"So?" Kylee said, now crossing her arms in front of her and gazing at the two Digidestineds.  
"And you'd want us to choose to do _that_?" Regan asked with a glare.  
"Well, no. We're gonna force you to do that!" Kylee said with a giggle, followed by a more sinister chuckle from Impmon.  
Neither Regan nor Kari still seemed pleased about that.  
Kylee stopped smiling and sighed. "Look guys. I think you need to cool off a bit, to do something else, do something unusual." She said, trying to encourage a bit.  
"Besides, something good could come out of that…" Impmon said with a wink, which didn't made Regan and Kari feel better.  
"Are you just trying to set us up or what?" Regan said, exasperated.  
"Well…perhaps…" Kylee said with a sly smile.  
Regan gave her another glare while Kari sat on the couch, trying to think.  
"Hum Regan…would you come over here please?" Kari asked as she rose from the couch and walked slightly away. Regan turned and soon went to her, leaning his head close to hers, as both had their back faced to the Tamers, and both started whispering to each other.

Though…it was easily obvious Regan was sounding annoyed at this, and Kari seemed a little bit troubled about that.  
"What the hell is she thinking about that?" Regan whispered angrily at Kari.  
"I guess she just want us to have some fun...I guess..." Kari whispered hesitantly and troubled.  
"Yeah...some fun that could be..." Regan replied sarcastically.  
"Regan…" Kari moaned silently.  
"…Wait a minute…I think I got it…" Regan muttered to Kari, a slight sinister grin creeping on his face. Kari wasn't sure that she may like what he could have as an idea…

Regan turned back to Kylee and Riza, followed by Kari.

"All right…we'll do it…" Regan said sourly.  
Kylee smiled again while Kari was still a bit unsure.  
"But…only if you two also go on with us!" Regan suddenly added, pointing at Riza and Kylee.

Both Kylee and Riza turned extremely surprised and both blushed. Veemon and Impmon were surprised as well, though Impmon's surprise soon turned into a grin.

"W-What?!? You want us to-" Kylee said.  
"Yeah, a double date as you may perhaps say." Regan finished with a sarcastic tone and smile.  
"Regan. What's the idea?" Kari whispered worryingly to him.  
"I just want her to chicken out of her idea so that she'll leave us alone about that…" Regan whispered back.

Despite that she was still expressing surprise(along with blusing a lot), Kylee stared fiercely at Regan.  
"It's that or nothing…" Regan said with a small, yet cunning smile. He really hoped that would discourage Kylee from wanting to go on with that idea of hers that, personally, he was finding stupid. Why the hell a date between him and Kari? They're just friends!

Kylee was furiously mentally debating between what she should choose. Of course, the real reason why she wanted the two Digidestineds to go out on a date, even if forced on them, was so that they could get their minds on something else rather than the constant trouble they had right now with their missing digimon.

But…that she and Riza had to be involved? They're just friends, not a couple!  
She thought a lot about what she really be her priorities…  
And unfortunately…  
The Digidestineds' better state would be the prime one, rather than making a 'black mark' on her relation with Riza…

"Fine…" Kylee said darkly. "We'll come along…"

For a very breif moment, Regan was stunned about that Kylee actually said they'd do it, but he quickly caught himself back and faked a more triumphant expression, though it quickly turned to something more angered. "Okay then…When?" he said.

"Tonight…" Kylee replied.  
"Fine…" Regan said, and started walking toward Kylee, and went past her, going for the door.  
"Riza! Come on!" Regan suddenly shouted as he passed the opened door  
"Uh…" Riza started.  
"DO IT!" Regan yelled, as if he roared.  
"Coming…" Riza said sheepingly before hurrying(as if his life depended on it) to the door and followed Regan, along with Veemon.

"You sure made him angry…" Kari commented. She didn't exactly looked pleased as well.  
"Hehehe…" Kylee rubbed the back of her head hesitantly, with an hesitant and partly innocent smile.  
"Aw, I'm sure he'll get up from that one. After all, he'll probably get waiting about that night…" Impmon said with a grin.  
"No one asked your opinion Impmon…" Kylee said, giving a very dark glare at her digimon, who obviously took advantage the most of the situation.  
"Why Kylee?…Why do that?…What's gotten into you to even want us to do that?" Kari asked. She looked worried, and also not quite pleased.  
"Oh well…" Kylee started. She couldn't exactly say why she wanted Kari, Regan…and now herself and Riza, to do that…  
"Well, we can all try to cool off our heads a little, right?" Kylee said with a grin.  
Kari did not exactly seemed to appreciate the idea about that…  
She sighed tiredly. "I just hope that there won't be anything bad that'll happen about that…" she said.

"So…anyway, I guess we should try to plan out what we'll wear for tonight, eh?" Kylee said with a partly innocent and uncertain grin. "I'll go get a few things at home so we can get ready here, okay?" she asked. "After all, we should try to impress them, right?"  
"Okay…" Kari said with an uncertain nod…

---

Regan was obviously not pleased. That was something very obvious to Riza and Veemon.  
But in all of this…  
"Damnit…why the hell does she wants to go with such idiotic idea?" Regan stormed out as he walked. "Kari and I are no couple, damnit…"  
"Well…Kylee and I aren't either!" Riza said, speaking more loudly. "So why getting us too in that?" he asked a bit more angrily.  
Regan stopped and turned at Riza, his gaze hard. "I hoped that she would abandon the idea if she and you would get involved in it…but it seems she wants to go all the way with that…"  
"And why do I have to be dragged in this too?" Riza asked with a moan.  
"You're a good friend of Kylee." Regan said with a smile. "Just as Kari and I are good friends." Regan quickly added before Riza was going to say up something more angrily.  
Riza looked dissapointed. Clearely, he had understood what Regan meant…  
"I really don't like that…" Riza said that.  
"Honestly, I really didn't wanted that too…" Regan said with dissapointement. "But we'll have to go on all the way with that, okay?"  
"Okay…" Riza said.

"Oh, hey Riza." Someone said from behind them. Looking back, Regan, Riza and Veemon noticed Darius having come up to them. "So, is it still okay for Kylee's date idea?" he asked.  
"So, you're the one she asked to help eh?" Regan said, eyeing Darius a bit darkly.  
"Oh…so you're one of the two she wanted to do that too, right?" Darius said with a smile.  
"Yeah…" Regan said on the same dark tone…then smiled cunningly. "And you can add up two more person on the date list tonight…" Regan added. "Riza and Kylee."  
"Oh! So they're going too? Never thought they'd want to accompany you and your friend." Darius said.  
Riza didn't exactly like what Darius said. "Excuse me but-"  
"Yeah, suprising huh?" Regan interrupted, ignoring Darius. "So, aside from owning a restaurent along with a make-shift music band, you got anything else that could help us?" Regan said, still smiling cunningly, and crossed his arms.  
"Depends what you'd need." Darius said.  
"Some more appropriate clothes. Think you and some of your friends can help?" Regan said.  
"Oh sure. So that the girls are gonna like it more, eh?" Darius said with a wink.  
"You said it." Regan said, still grinning cunningly.  
"Okay, come on. I think I got some friends that can give you a hand with that…" Darius said as he turned and walked away.  
"Come on Riza." Regan said, the cunning grin still on his face.  
"Hum Regan…you're really sure about going…all the way with that?" Riza asked uncertainly.  
"Kinda." Regan replied. He slightly looked at him, more seriously. "I also have another idea about what we'll do…"  
"I'm not sure that I'm gonna like this…" Riza whispered nervously.  
"And I'm not sure that I'll like that either…" Regan whispered with a sweatdrop.

---

"_So…what is it that you wanted to tell me?"  
"I've found them."  
"Is that true?"  
"Indeed."  
"So, where are they?"_

---

6:30 pm  
The time was approaching fast, and the girls' nervousness was increasing as well. They hadn't heard from the boys since a long while, aside from a phone call in which Regan asked that the digimon wouldn't come. He had also asked the girls to wait for the at the outside entrance of the building that served as Kari and Regan's hideout.

"Come on girls! Your boyfriends are gonna come over soon!"  
"IMPMON!!!"

Despite that she had been yelling hard at her digimon, Kylee was busy in the bathroom while Kari was occupied in the bedroom.

The bathroom's door opened and Kylee walked out.  
She was now wearing a beautiful golden colored robe that went a bit below at her knees, spreading out a bit. The dress also had transparent sleeves that covered the upper halves of her arms, covering her shoulders in the same transparent golden covering.

Impmon let out a whistle and grinned as she looked at Kylee.  
"Wow! Now this'll be one awesome shock for Riza!" Impmon said with a large grin and a wink.  
"Could you cut it out?" Kylee said, blushing a bit, looking at herself again. Her hairs had been well combed as well, though she hadn't decided to make some special hair style at all.

"Kari…you're ready?" Kylee asked.  
"Yeah, soon…" Kari replied from the bedroom. The door opened as Kari walked out, wearing a small black dress, with some white sparklings on it, which went down to her knees and was sleeveless. Once again, she had put on hair dye to color her hairs to a darker shade of brown, and this time, she was wearing a hairpin, though this one was white and decorated with a fake blue gem. Along with that, she was wearing long black gloves, that had some sparklings on them as well, that covered all of the lower halves of her arms.

"You look nice Kari." Kylee said with a smile.  
"Thanks." Kari replied with a slight hesitant smile.  
"So…shall we go?" Kylee asked, still keeping the smile, but nervousness creeping into her.  
"Yeah…let's go…" Kari replied. No doubt that she too was getting nervous.  
"Have fun!" Impmon said loudly with a large grin as the two girls walked out of the apartment. Kylee fought the urge to run back and try to strangle her digimon as she walked down the stairs…

They walked out of the building to wait in front, as the night was slowly starting to descend on the city.

"I just hope they aren't gonna make us wait too long…" Kylee said. She spoke of that, considering that the night may get a bit fresh later on.  
Kari said nothing, a bit more absorbed in her thoughts as she held herself, being a little cold. "I should have taken a-"

"Good evening milady…" someone said behind them. Both Kylee and Kari turned, and Kari slightly gasped.

It was indeed Regan and Riza…but with a much different set of clothing…  
Regan was wearing a long sleeved red jacket with a white cape with the ends colored by a golden line. He also wore a dark blue shirt beneath, marked with a gold dragon on it, and he wore black jeans with red lines flowing around the belt level. It actually gave him a more…princely look…

As for Riza, it seemed he had a opted for a more simpler look with simply a black tuxedo…but still, he had a white cape like Regan, although not with the golden lined ends like Regan's.

"So, I hope that you're well for tonight milady..." Regan said very kindly as he walked up to Kari, and gently picked up her hand before making a kiss on the hand...which made Kari feeling more heat at her cheeks.

Kylee even looked surprised at Regan's acting. "So, milady, shall we go?" Riza asked, making a little bow to Kylee, though he was blushing. His words made Kylee blush as well.

"Uh...yeah..." Kylee said hesitantly. "You know the way?"  
"Of course." Regan said with a princely smile. He offered his arm to Kari, who blushed a little bit before taking it. Riza also did the same for Kylee, who reacted in a similar way.  
Meanwhile, Impmon gazed from the corner of the building's door as he snickered at the sight of the boys making quite a court to the girls.  
"Hey there Impmon." Veemon said just as the two Tamers and Digidestineds were leaving. He carried a bag with him.  
"Hey there Veemon." Impmon said, still grinning. "Can't believe they're actually doing it! This is just perfect, at last!" He then looked curiously at the bag. "What's that?"  
"Oh, just Regan and Riza's normal clothes they wanted to bring back here." Veemon said. "You got no idea what I've been seeing for the whole afternoon. Regan's been giving some kind of lessons to Riza about those special manners." Veemon said.  
"Oh...so that explains why they're acting weird. At least it works wonderfully." Impmon said, grinning again then sighed. "Too bad we can't come with them; I would have so wanted to be there..."  
"Which is a good reason why you shouldn't go along..." Veemon said with an annoyed sigh.

---

The way to the restaurant had been a bit eventless...except for Regan having offered his cape to Kari so she wouldn't get too cold...That of course only caused Kari to blush more.  
Aside from that, every four of them had remained quite silent...

"Welcome!" Darius said as he greeted the 'couples' as they arrived. He was dressed in a more casual way for the night as well. "We already got the tables ready. If you're willing to come..."

"Of course..." Regan said with a polite smile.

Darius led them inside, as they noticed no one else being here for the evening. A small band was calmly playing in one of the background, and the lights in the restaurant had been lowered, and a lower red light had spread around.

"Here we go." Darius said, showing them their tables, which were rather separated from everyone else...Indeed a more appropriate set...for a date...

"Thanks..." Riza said.  
"I'll bring up the menus. In the meantime, you can get comfortable." Darius said before walking away.

"_Sure…"_ Kari thought. "_How you'd like to comfortable in THAT kind of situation?"_

---

During mainly all of the dinner, Regan had showed out the same kind of manners he had shown at first, and Riza had imitated a bit as well, though not as much as Regan.

"So, it's going well?" Darius asked as he came to take up the plates and dishes.  
"Well…kinda…" Kari said, with a slight tint of pink on her cheeks.  
"Okay then." Darius said as he walked away a little bit happily.  
"Uh guys, I gotta go to the bathroom." Kari then said.  
"Oh yeah, me too…" Kylee added.  
"Go on." Regan said with a shrug.

Both girls nodded before they rose from their seats and went for the bathroom.

Riza and Regan then let out a long tired sigh.  
"At least we can take a rest now…" Regan said.  
"You said it." Riza said, looking uncertainly at him then he rested his elbows on the table. "I can't believe we're actually doing all of that…"  
"And I'd never think it would have done that much of an effect on them…" Regan muttered, crossing his arms on his chest.  
"But, you know what?" Riza asked.  
"What?" Regan asked.  
"I'd…I'd never thought that Kylee would look…so cute…" Riza said, blushing a lot.  
"And what about Kari?" Regan said sourly, yet blushing as well. "She…she does look cute as well…"  
"Hey, hum Regan…I know I shouldn't really perhaps but in it others' things…but…does sometimes…Kari seem like an…angel, to you?" Riza asked with some uncertainties.  
"Angel?" Regan said, cheeks red. "Couldn't have said it better. She's doing a lot for everyone of us, and she does believe that there can be good in all of us.  
Of course, she knows that sometimes she has to fight, even if she doesn't like it…  
It isn't easy for her…" Regan said a bit sadly.  
"She helped me a lot before. She was the first Digidestined I met, but she helped me learn a lot about really being a Digidestined. I owe a lot to her. I think…that at first, I thought she was perhaps really strong, the best there is, in many ways, but I realized later that she could be rather as normal as anyone, but that she was really keeping up in being a Digidestined, for the sake of many.  
That's why I want to help her as much as I can…as a Digidestined…and as a friend…" Regan explained.  
"Wow…yep, it really sounds like you two are really good friends." Riza said.  
"Yeah, we're friends…But just that." Regan said with a shrug. "Come on, how could we be a couple? She's an awesome girl…and cute too…But I'm not someone that awesome. She wouldn't fall for a guy like me, right?"  
"Eehhh…I don't know…" Riza said a bit confusedly.

---

"Geez…I'd never thought they would have done _that_…" Kari said, slightly running in the girls' bathroom before quickly going at a sink to wash her hands. As she started removing her gloves, Kylee came to a sink besides her as she started to wash her hands, blushing a bit.  
"Yeah, being so…I don't know…cute?" Kylee said, blushing at the end.  
"Cute?" Kari repeated, looking at Kylee a bit confusedly. "Uhh well…I don't know either…but they're a lot cute…" she finally added, blushing in the end.  
"And in all of that, you're kinda lucky that Regan's being so…nice…" Kylee said with a slightly envious tone.  
"Well, I can't really say if I like that…" Kari said, still blushing.  
"But hey, isn't Regan really nice in doing that?" Kylee asked.  
"Perhaps a bit too nice…" Kari said while looking a bit down and toward the mirror in front of her as she turned off the water in her sink.  
"What do you mean?" Kylee asked, a bit confused.  
"Ever since I met him in the Digital World, we mainly traveled together, Regan and I. And many times, he did a lot to help me when I had a problem, especially when the problem concerned him and that I got involved…" Kari started.  
"Like Ragnarok…" Kylee said.  
"Yeah…But that hasn't been the only one…There have been many others…I know it's nice from him to help me…but sometimes…I think he's overdoing it…" Kari added.  
"Overdoing it? How?" Kylee asked.  
"Don't you think he may be overdoing it if he's nearly killing himself just to help me?  
I nearly died once, and he nearly killed himself in trying to save me. And both of us would have been dead if not for Gennai finding us." Kari answered.  
Kylee would have liked to press on a bit about Gennai, but there was no doubt she knew who it was, and probable he hadn't changed since the 'show'.  
"I'm worried about Regan…I know he wants to help me…and sometimes…I know I need help…but…I wouldn't want him to help me…if he were to die because of that…" Kari said, faint tears forming up at the edges of her eyes.  
Now Kylee started to realize what Kari meant. She did noticed that when they were dealing with Ragnarok, the last time Regan came in their world, Regan seemed insistent about dealing with Ragnarok, and possibly doing it on his own.  
"So…you care for him?" Kylee asked with a small smile.  
"Oh…yeah…" Kari said, her cheeks turning slightly rosy. "He's a really good friend…even if he's a bit cute, and I can understand why you'd think we'd be a couple, but we're not. Even if we care for each other, we're just good friends."  
"Oh well, who knows how it could turn out later on?" Kylee said with a slightly teasing and happy tone. "I'll go back to our 'Prince Charmings' now. You're coming?"  
"I'm nearly done." Kari said. "Go on ahead."  
"Okay." Kylee replied before walking out of the bathroom.  
Kari looked toward the door of the bathroom, then sighed again as she stared at her reflection in the wall. She then looked at her right hand, which she had closed on purpose…  
She opened it and looked at her palm.  
And in it, there was a strange mark. The Crest of Light. It was marked in her palm.  
And it was something she preferred Kylee wouldn't know.  
After all, how many Digidestineds had, a seemingly deeper link to their crests, in such a way that it left a mark on them? Even if perhaps Regan may have told the two Tamers about that his crest was actually marked in his hand, just like Kari's, she preferred not to really talk about that…not right now…

She finished drying her hands before putting back on her gloves and walked out of the bathroom, showing up a more satisfied smile.

"Alright boys, what else do you have in store for us now?" Kari asked, a little bit annoyed, yet a bit teasing.  
Both Regan and Riza looked at each other, a bit unsure. Both shrugged before looking at Kylee and Kari. "Well, seems like we're done here and that we can-" Riza started, but got interrupted by a shoulder nudge from Regan. "What's wrong Regan?" he asked as he looked at the Digidestined. However, he wasn't looking at Riza, or at the girls.

A softer, more romantic tune had started being played by the local band in the restaurant.  
"_Heh…let's go full circle with that date anyway…"_ Regan said, as he showed a sly smile.  
He raised up from his chair before offering a hand to Kari. "Would you honor me the pleasure of a dance, milady?" he asked.  
Kari blushed again as she stared at Regan's hand, then at his face, and at a place that could be easily noticed as a stage to dance.

"We-Well…of course…" Kari answered, cheeks still red, before she took Regan's hand and rose from her chair before accompanying Regan on the dance stage.  
Riza and Kylee stared uncertainly at Regan and Kari before Riza rose from his chair, blushing a bit. "So, Kylee…mind for a dance?" he asked.  
Her own cheeks feeling hot, Kylee looked a bit uncertainly at Riza before nodding. "Okay…" she replied before she imitated Kari and took Riza's hand before both went to the dancing stage as well.

As both Kari and Regan stood in the middle of the stage, they faced each other before Regan brought his hand around Kari's waist, as she held his hand and then both started to dance, soon imitated by Kylee and Riza, who seemed more hesitant than the two Digidestineds.

Both Digidestineds and Tamers slowly spun and twirled around as they danced, each pair obviously looking at each other…though in some cases, there were some uncertainities…

"I never thought you were good at dancing Regan…" Kari said a bit uneasily.  
"Thanks…" Regan answered, blushing a bit.

And on and on they continued to dance. A little later, Kari's eyes locked in Regan's dark blue ones.  
It was true…Many times when she had been in troubles, Regan had often been there to help. True, he hadn't helped her absolutely everytimes…but he did helped often…  
She had to admit, sometimes, it felt well to be with Regan…  
Almost…like some feeling…of warmth…  
Warmth? That surprised Kari a bit. She was feeling a bit of that warmth again, right now.  
She had to admit…it was a pleasant feeling…but what could do be?

Could that really be love?  
She blushed thinking about that as she still gazed at Regan…

He had to admit to himself, he wasn't so bad in dancing. For a while, both he and Kari weren't really looking that much at each other, but now, they locked eyes together, red and dark blue eyes looking strait at each other, both attempting to plunge into the deepness and mysteries there could be in the other's eyes.  
Kari…in many ways, Regan knew her well…but to him, it seemed that Kari was keeping many mysteries as well…Just like him…  
'Angel'…how odd for a term…yet, it some ways…it seemed to fit Kari well…  
She seemed much like if she was an angel, a soft and sweet person that could always manage to bring out the light in others' hearts…In many ways, Kari seemed strong…and in many ways, she had truly impressed Regan. He had to admit that.  
Yet…in other ways…Kari seemed so…fragile…frail…  
She was strong…but she was weak as well…And because of such, Regan felt he had to help Kari, to help protect her whenever he could and it was needed…  
He wondered about somethings…In some ways…he knew he cared for her…  
But…Was it really care…or did he wanted more than simply caring for Kari?  
Did he loved her? That thought made him blush, as Kari also seemed to blush for reasons unknown to Regan.

Time seemed to have lost all sense, as both Digidestineds simply stared at each others' eyes, seemingly seeking to discover some unknown mystery in each others' eyes…

"Hum...Regan?" Kari then hesitantly asked. Her cheek were still red though.  
"Yes Kari?" Regan answered, still blushing as well.

"Ow! Watch it!" Both Kylee and Riza stumbled on the floor, making both Regan and Kari stop and looking toward the Tamers.  
"Why did you stepped on my foot?" Kylee asked to Riza, sounding very annoyed and exasperated.  
"I'm sorry..." Riza said sheepishly.  
"Are you two okay?" Regan asked, letting go of Kari to check on both of the others.  
"Yeah, I'll be okay..." Kylee sourly answered.  
"Regan…mind if I go outside? I'd like to take some fresh air…" Kari said.  
"Sure, go ahead." Regan replied.  
As Kari started walking outside, Regan started giving out a hand to Kylee and Riza who were still rising up…

Outside, Kari simply stood motionless, looking a bit down…but also discouraged…  
A very slight wind picked up, but nothing really noticable.  
"_Am I really sure about what I could be thinking? Could…could I really love him or not?"_ she thought.  
"_We've always been good friends ever since we met each other, always looking out for each other…but…it is okay, if there could be something more…or is there really something more?_

But…in all of this…is it really the right thing?"

She slowly turned, still rather depressed, and started back for the restaurant…  
But she stopped…as she heard whispers…  
Uncertain, she started to turn back…

From the restaurant, Regan, Kylee and Riza suddenly heard a scream…and it was Kari.

"Kari!" Regan quickly started up for the entrance, where Kari had gone. The two Tamers quickly went after him, but as soon as they were outside, they found no traces of Kari.  
"Kari! Where are you?" Regan shouted.  
"She can't have gone too far…" Riza said.  
"Hey guys…is it me, or does the air seem a bit cold right now?" Kylee asked, shivering.  
Cold? As Regan wondered about that, he indeed felt the change in temperature, a cold that, somehow…could even strike him deep in the heart…  
"This can't be right…" he said. Despite himself, he shivered.

Seemingly unknowingly, a fog slowly manifested behind them…

"Kari!" Regan yelled again. "Where are you?"  
This time, there was an answer…a sob…  
"Kari? Is that you?" Kylee said.  
"But why is she crying?" Riza said.  
More fog started appearing…and it seemed that Kari's voice came from it…

Grunting, Regan started for the fog, toward where he heard Kari's voice. The Tamers soon went after him.

The fog nearly blinded Regan, so thick it was. But…in this…there was clearly something not normal…but he couldn't quite place his finger on…  
But it was familiar…somehow…  
"Regan? Where are you?" Riza's voice came out from behind him, and close.  
"We can't see a thing!" Kylee said.  
"I'm right here." Regan said, stopping and turning toward where their voices came out. Soon enough both emerged out of the fog and saw Regan, clearly relieved.  
"Man…something's not right in this…" Riza said, worried.  
"I know…" Regan said darkly. "But…I'm sure I must have experienced something about that before…but where?"  
"G-Guys…" Kylee said, blood having fled from her face as she pointed forward. She took a step back, looking very unsure.

Both Riza and Regan looked as well…before their eyes widened…  
"No…" Regan muttered. Now he knew why it was familiar, somehow…

They weren't in the roads of Phoenix City…or even in the city anymore…  
But on a beach…a beach that truly felt…dark…

"The Dark Ocean…" Regan whispered.  
"That's impossible!  
...Right?" Kylee asked.  
"…Seems not…" Riza said looking as much uncertain as Kylee was. Even Regan looked drastically troubled.  
And further up on the beach…there was a thin figure that stood half-sitting in the sand, holding itself…

"Kari!" Regan shouted as he started running for the figure, followed by Kylee and Riza.  
Indeed, as soon as they neared, it was indeed Kari…sitting in the sand and holding her shoulders, looking down…crying…

"Kari…what's wrong?" Regan asked, slowly reaching out for Kari's hand and shoulder…  
"…We're not strong…" Kari said after a while.  
"What?" Kylee said. "What do you mean?"  
"We lost our partners…Because we weren't strong enough to keep them…" Kari answered.

Regan gasped a bit and the Tamers looked at both Digidestineds uncertainly. Kari was only talking about her and Regan…saying that they weren't strong…  
And it appeared that even with the 'date'…she hadn't forgot…or perhaps it made it worse…  
"No…Kari…please don't say that…" Regan said, walking around Kari to kneel in front of her so that they could see eye-to-eye. But she still looked down, tears in her face.  
"We're not worthy Regan…  
We've been only failing…How can we be really heroes…when we're nothing?"  
"No…this isn't right Kari…this can't be right…" Regan said desperately, taking hold of Kari by the shoulders…but Kylee noticed that his hands were shaking…  
He too had doubts…just like Kari…

In the horizon far ahead…something dark seemed to grow…

"Regan! Kari! Get a hold of yourself!" Kylee said.  
She suddenly started forward…before slapping both Regan and Kari.  
"Kylee!" Riza said. "What are you doing?" he asked as he neared her.  
Both Regan and Kari struck the sand before they slightly rose and looked wide eyed at Kylee.  
"You guys aren't weak…" Kylee said fists tight. "I know that…Because I've seen how good you could be…So, how could you be weak right now?"  
"Before perhaps…but now…" Regan said darkly.  
"Stop that crap Regan! This isn't true!" Kylee yelled. "You got to be one of the strongest people I've ever seen! And I may not have seen or heard what Kari has been doing in the Digital World right now, but it's obvious that she must have been really strong!  
There's no way you two are weaklings!!!" she added, tears forming in her eyes.  
"…Yeah…" Riza added. "Regan…we learned to become stronger thanks to you…We learned a lot from you…So there's no way you could have been weak…  
Because, if that was the case, would everything we did all together, as friends, been just for nothing? Come on Regan! And get up too Kari! You two can't just stand down! You know you have to fight!"

A loud roar suddenly shook the ground before everyone suddenly sprung up on their feets, even Regan and Kari.  
"Huh? What's happening?" Kari asked, seemingly confused.  
"I'm not sure…" Regan said, looking a bit confused.  
"Look there!" Kylee said, pointing at the horizon. A large form stood in the distance, its features hard to distinguish…  
"I don't think it wants to let us go easily…" Riza said.  
"Guys…" Kari started, looking at Riza and Kylee. "Thanks…"  
"Yeah…thanks a lot…for just being there, and being our friends…" Regan said.  
"Ooohh, well…it was nothing." Kylee said with a small smile, which then faded. "But what about that big guy there?" she asked, pointing at the dark figure, which seemed to approach.  
Both Regan and Kari looked at it for a while, before they looked at each other and nodded.  
"We'll have to fight it…" Kari said.  
"What? But what can we do? We don't have our digimon!" Riza said.  
"Not you two." Regan said, pulling out his digivice from a pocket before strapping it on his wrist, just as Kari also took out her digivice, which Kylee hadn't noticed she had taken it with her before the date. "But we'll do it." Regan added.  
"You really thought of bringing those with you?" Kylee asked.  
"…Once a Digidestined…" Kari started.  
"...Always a Digidestined…" Regan finished.  
"Okay…I think we get it…" Riza said. "But…are you sure you can do it?"  
"I don't know…" Regan replied. "The only thing we have is Bio-Modify, so we'll have to make due with only that."  
"But…in some ways…our partners are always with us, right Regan? In our hearts…" Kari said, looking at him.  
"…Yeah, you're right." Regan said, looking at her with a determined look.

"Who-Whooaaaa!!!" a voice came out…from above them…

And two forms suddenly crashed right on top of Regan and Kari, making every of them falling in a heap.

"Ow…what the…no way!!!" Regan started.  
"Hey! I know that voice!" another voice added…and a very familiar one…

Kylee and Riza gasped as they noticed what had fallen on Regan and Kari…  
A small dragon-like being, along with a cat with gloves and a long tail…  
Lizomon and Gatomon…Regan and Kari's Digimon Partners!!!

"Lizomon! Gatomon!" Riza said.  
"Huh?!?" Lizomon suddenly said, still half-standing on Regan before he looked toward Kylee and Riza, his face breaking into a large grin!  
"Well! Riza! Kylee! That's nice to see you! Where are Regan and Kari?" Lizomon asked.  
"Beneath us…" Gatomon said, half-moaning as she struggled to remove herself.  
"Oh? Oh, Regan! At last!!!" Lizomon said happily before ramming his partner.  
"Lizomon!!!" Regan said, more happily…and slightly pained from the 'happy ram' as he held his digimon tight.  
"Gatomon…" Kari said, looking at her partner with watery eyes and held her tight as well.  
"I missed you Kari…" Gatomon said, tears coming out of her eyes as well. "Hey, wait a minute…" Gatomon suddenly added as she pulled her face a bit back and looked more at Kari. "Why are you dressed that way?"  
"Uh…" Kari started, blushing a little bit.  
Lizomon stopped and quickly removed himself from Regan's grasp before looking at him…then at Kari…then at Kylee, and finally at Riza…

A sly grin came up on his face…  
"No! No! No! This isn't what you're thinking!!!" Regan spoke loudly, waving negatively at his partner, but his own cheeks were a bit red as well.  
"I sure hope you had some nice time together without us!!!" Lizomon yelled happily, obviously hinting a bit more about something else…  
Both Kylee and Riza also flushed as well. "Hey! We didn't wanted any of this!" Kylee said. "It's-"

A large roar interrupted Kylee as the large dark figure neared the Digidestineds, Tamers and the two digimon. Its features were vague…but made of dark flames…

"Looks like we came up just in time, right?" Lizomon asked as he flew right beside his partner, looking toward the huge figure.  
"Yeah, you could say that…" Regan said, a bit annoyed.  
"Well, I think we'd have a job to do, right Kari?" Gatomon asked, dropping down from Kari's hands before also gazing up and hard at the large figure.  
"Yeah, I think so…" Kari replied.  
"Well…go kick that thing's ass!" Kylee said.  
"Yeah, you can do it!" Riza said.  
"You can count on that, shorty." Lizomon replied to Riza…with a large grin.  
Riza's face turned red from anger. "Don't call me shorty!!!"  
"Anyway, let's just deal with that thing, now!" Regan said. "Ready Lizomon?"  
Lizomon looked back at Regan and nodded.  
"Gatomon?" Kari asked her face serious again. "I'm ready." Gatomon answered.  
"Bio-Merge, activate!" both Digidestineds shouted, Regan putting his right hand on his digivice, as Kari held out her hands together, as if praying…

Two great flashes of light, red and pink, emerged out of them, engulfing the two kids and their digimon, forcing the two Tamers to step back and shield their eyes…

_Lizomon, bio-merge to…AtmaRyumon!!!_

From the red light, four large dragon wings emerged before AtmaRyumon, the holy dragon knight digimon appeared, his sword and shield in hands.

_Gatomon, bio-merge to…OrahAngewomon!!!_

The pink light exploded, revealing Kari and Gatomon's bio-merged form…  
It looked very much like Angewomon…but she wore her clothes colored pink instead, and most of the holes that where visible in Angewomon's suit were gone. Along with that, her wings were all marked with the Crest of Light. Her helmet was now golden colored while she now had two cloth lines, golden colored that floated behind her, and partly wrapped around her wrists. And her hairs were now colored of a light brown color, much similar to Kari's own hair color.

Both Kylee and Riza stared at AtmaRyumon and OrahAngewomon with awe. "Man…it's so awesome to see AtmaRyumon again…" Riza said.  
"And OrahAngewomon looks cool too." Kylee added. "Go get that creep guys!"  
Both digimon slightly turned their heads to the Tamers and nodded. "Don't worry, we will." OrahAngewomon said.

With that, both jumped in the air before fully opening their wings. AtmaRyumon also flew forward, charging at the large dark flaming behemoth.  
The huge being raised on large clawed hand before slamming it down at AtmaRyumon, who pulled back just in time…  
And at the same time, OrahAngewomon held herself in the air before pointing her right arm toward the large creature before she created a glowing golden energy arrow with her left hand and held it on the bow that formed with her right hand.

"Destiny Arrow!" she shouted, and released her arrow, which flew strait at the dark being, leaving a trail of light as it flew. The arrow struck deep on the monster, who roared madly, rearing up.  
AtmaRyumon rushed forward, holding his sword high, glowing.  
"Atma Blade!" he shouted before swinging his red glowing blade at the monster, cutting deep in the flames as well. The huge monster stepped back.

"We're doing it!" OrahAngewomon said.  
"Let's keep this up!" AtmaRyumon replied before bashing in the behemoth with his shield.  
OrahAngewomon clasped her hands together in a prayer, then her wings fully opened, the crest symbols glowing. "Celestial Strike!" she shouted, holding her arms high and to her sides. From her wings, multiple blasts of white, pink, golden energy and beams erupted before flying at the dark flaming behemoth.  
AtmaRyumon quickly noticed the attack coming before he threw himself sideways as the attack impacted on the monster.  
"White Flame Wave!" AtmaRyumon shouted as he flew back, and breathed out white flames from his mouth.  
The dark monster once again stumbled back, nearly falling on one knee…  
"Yeah! They're doing it!!!" Kylee said happily.

The large behemoth roared before holding his hands toward the two digimon. Large streams of dark flames rushed out toward them.  
AtmaRyumon held out his shield in front of himself. "Atma's Protector!" he shouted.  
OrahAngewomon also held out her arms defensively in front of herself before shouting "Heaven Shield!" and formed a pinkish and white glowing globe shield around herself, protecting her from the attack as it struck both AtmaRyumon and OrahAngewomon.

Both struggled to hold out against the attack, determination easily readable in their faces.  
OrahAngewomon clapped her hand in front of her, in her shield, before a golden glow came out of her hands.  
"Sacred Charm!" she yelled, and a large golden glow erupted, making her shield vanish, but a large golden energy barrier appeared in front of her, shielding from the attack…and rushing toward the dark flaming behemoth.

The beast noticed the attack coming and quickly focused all of its strength on it…but then a red beam came out, striking the monster, who lost its focus, and got struck by OrahAngewomon's attack.  
AtmaRyumon held out his sword toward the monster, having shot the red beam. He looked at OrahAngewomon. "Let's finish this quickly! I don't want to waste any more time!" he said, and the angel digimon nodded.

AtmaRyumon flew closer to the dark behemoth who struggled to recover. He held out his wings fully opened as all of his five crest symbols glowed…  
Meanwhile, OrahAngewomon flew a bit higher before holding her hands in a prayer again. This time though, a large golden glow surrounded her.

"Atma Crusher!" AtmaRyumon yelled then all of his crest symbols on his wings fired red and white flaming beams in front of his crest symbol on his chest, then one beam fired from it before the focused attack was lunched out in a large expanding cone of red and white flames.

"Heaven's Judgement!" OrahAngewomon shouted before holding her hands to the skies.  
And above the dark behemoth, a large gateway opened…seemingly leading to _elsewhere_…  
Large blasts of pink, white, golden energy rained down from the gateway, all focused as beams, pure blasts or meteors that struck the dark behemoth repeatedly as he was engulfed in the flames of AtmaRyumon's attack…  
A huge pained roar was unleashed by the monstrosity.

But as the attacks faded, the dark being still held its own, now glowing as well.  
"I don't get it! We sent out all of our attacks on that thing and it's still alive?!?" AtmaRyumon said.  
"AtmaRyumon…perhaps we could combine our powers together…perhaps that may be enough…" OrahAngewomon said, flying to AtmaRyumon's level.  
"…Yeah, you may be right." AtmaRyumon replied with a nod, after thinking a little while. "Okay then, let's do it."

AtmaRyumon pointed out his sword strait toward the dark behemoth, and OrahAngewomon put her hand on AtmaRyumonon's gauntleted hand holding the sword. One of the golden cloth lines around her wrists unwrapped itself from OrahAngewomon's wrist and half-wrapped itself around AtmaRyumon's sword.  
The sword and the cloth line now glowed with great intensity.

"Banish thy Darkness!!!" both AtmaRyumon and OrahAngewomon yelled out before one single beam of light, so intense that it was without color, erupted from the cloth wrapped sword before it rushed strait toward the dark behemoth.  
The monster shot out one large stream of dark flames to counter the attack… but the flames were quickly snuffed out by the beam.  
In desperation, the monster formed out a flaming shield to protect itself…but the beam pierced right through the shield…and right through the monster…which exploded and dispersed into flames…

"They did it!" Riza said.  
"Awesome work guys!" Kylee yelled out.

Both AtmaRyumon and OrahAngewomon sighed, tired but relieved. They flew down to meet out with the two Tamers.

They the two glowed before their lights engulfed everything around…

And the Tamers found themselves back in Phoenix City, with Regan, Kari, Lizomon and Gatomon standing in front of them.  
"Damn, it's really nice to see you again Lizomon." Regan said to his partner.  
"Same for me." Lizomon replied.  
Kari and Gatomon simply stared out at each other, smiling.

"Well…I guess this night went out better than we thought, right?" Kylee asked.  
That made Regan and Kari look a little bit uncertain.  
"Oh…about that…" Lizomon said, a sly grin coming back on his face…  
"Hey guys!" Kylee and Riza turned to see Impmon and Veemon running toward them.  
"Impmon? Veemon? What are you doing here?" Riza asked.  
"Darius phoned us out saying that you guys had a problem." Veemon said. "Are you okay?"  
"Yes, we are now." Kylee said.  
"So…how was the-" Impmon started, then stopped, glaring past Kylee and Riza...and strait at Lizomon. "You…" he started, looking hard at Lizomon.  
Lizomon returned the glare before walking toward Impmon and meeting him face to face.  
Everyone around looked a bit worried at what could happen.  
Both Impmon and Lizomon stared out hard at each other…before they burst out in laugher.  
"Hah, it's really nice to see that smug face of yours again Impmon!" Lizomon said while laughing.  
"Well, I can't be sure I really missed the face of that overconfident lizard-wannabe!" Impmon replied, smiling sarcastically. Both laughed again.  
Everyone around looked more relieved.  
"Whew…for a moment, I thought this was going to get bad…" Kylee said.  
"You said it…" Regan replied.  
"So, how's it been doing Impmon? They still haven't kissed yet?" Lizomon asked.  
Kylee and Riza started, blushing fiercely.  
"Weelll… not yet…but they went out on a date today…and there was Regan and Kari with them as well…a double date in fact." Impmon said, grinning sinisterly.  
"Yeah, I kinda noticed that." Lizomon said, grinning sinisterly as he looked slightly at his partner, who didn't look so appreciative…  
"Now wait a minute!" Regan said. "We were forced on that date, because of these two!"  
"Perhaps…" Lizomon said calmly before facing his partner. "…But aren't you the one who said to Riza that Kari looked cute? And that she kinda seemed to be an angel? After all, even Riza said that Kylee looked cute…" Lizomon said with a sly grin.

All four of Regan, Kari, Riza and Kylee blushed fiercely.  
"W-How did you knew that?!?" Regan asked loudly, his cheeks very red.  
"Memory reading when in Bio-Merge?" Lizomon said with an 'innocent' smile.  
Regan's face dropped low as he heard that. Never did he felt so humiliated by his own partner…  
"You know, when I think about it…I think Kari and Kylee spoke about something similar too when in that bathroom…" Gatomon said.  
Now Kari and Kylee blushed even more, looking far more uncertain, as the two boys were clearly hesitant.  
"And what about that dance?" Lizomon asked. "I think it must have been really nice to stare out at each others' eyes…and what were you going to ask him Kari?"  
Kari only blushed more as she held her hands to her face.  
"Arrrghhhh! Enough! Enough of this!" Regan yelled out angrily. "Let's just stop with that and all go 'home' NOW!" he added, while started to walk ahead, looking both 'humiliated' and angry.  
Lizomon only grinned at him while Gatomon gave more of a glare at the dragon digimon.  
As for Impmon, he smiled happily at Riza and Kylee.  
"Let's just go home…" Kari said, still blushing.  
The Tamers nodded before they started walking, followed by their digimon.  
"So, how was it for you two?" Impmon asked to Lizomon.  
"Well…not really pretty, but at least we managed to come." Lizomon answered.  
"Oh, by the way…how did you two managed to get here?" Kari asked.  
"Well, you two called us, that's all…" Gatomon said with a shrug, as if it had been obvious.  
"Huh?" Kari was only more confused.  
"I guess your bonds to each other must have been so strong that it allowed you to be reunited again…" Riza said.  
"Perhaps…but I'm not really sure to completely understand it…" Kari said. In front of them, Regan was still walking, clearly still angry.  
"Oh, by the way Impmon, haven't you noticed?" Lizomon asked.  
"Noticed what?"  
"Regan and Kari. Riza and Kylee.  
Both girls' names start with 'K' while both boys' names start with 'R'.  
Could that be a 'coincidence'?" Lizomon said, grinning.  
"Argh! Enough of that!!!" Kylee yelled, clearly frustrated of that, and so were Riza and Kylee…and obviously Regan as well.  
"Now that you mention it…" Impmon said before he chuckled.  
Both Gatomon and Veemon sighed.

---

And later, that night…

In the school's yard, which was still closed, everything was calm…  
Then, the wind picked up, becoming more intense…  
Before a flash of blue light suddenly appeared in the middle of the yard, and it formed itself into a round shape…a portal…

The portal simply hung immobile for a while…before a growing shadow slowly came out to the edges…

One foot walked out of the portal, followed by another one…as one tall form appeared out of the portal.

Even with the light of the portal, the only thing that could be noticed about this unknown figure was that is was wearing a cloak that hid all of its features…

The unknown figure waved at the portal behind it before it vanished. And the figure stared around.

"So…they would be here…  
Let's begin then…Wherever these two are in this city, they could be anywhere…" the cloaked form spoke, its voice not even giving out a possibility of its gender…

Then the cloaked figure started walking out of the school's yard, unnoticed by anyone…


	8. Wisdom of Trust part 1

"_Many things are complex to understand, from the most advanced of computer programs, to even simple living beings._

While many ponders much about the goals and reasons of existence of some of those complex beings, others like me seek to understand, to discover.  
However, I have given myself a different duty as well.

Balance. Not only through me, but through many others.

And in the Digital World, the Digidestineds are those who aid in the balance…  
But…

I have my own parts to play in such…"

**Chapter 8 : Wisdom of Trust part 1**

As another day rose up on Phoenix City, everyone started to wake up to start their new day…

As for Regan and Kari, and their digimon, they were so tired that they had gone strait to bed without even changing clothes. Regan woke up on the bed couch in the living room, his eyes slowly opening as he heard the snoring of his partner, Lizomon. As he started rising up, he held his head, as his head swam.

"Alright…we aren't gonna do that kind of stuff again…or it's either something I ate…" Regan muttered.

Not bothering to take the cape that he had left on a chair before going to sleep, Regan started going for Kari's room, that headache still present. Regan didn't felt really well because of that, but then, it had been an exhausting night…

Regan started taking a look in Kari's room. "Hey Kari, perhaps it would be time to wake up and get a change of clothes." He said.

Kari, on the other hand, still slept, looking tired as well. Gatomon was lying on her bed as well, curled up on herself.

Regan was a bit unsure of doing that, but perhaps he should insist.

He went up to Kari.  
"Hey Kari, time to wake-"

He suddenly gasped, having suddenly discovered something.

---

While the day seemed to start normally for everyone, all at peace with themselves as the new day started…but not everyone…

Darius Duke was worried. Yesterday night seemed like it ended okay, but there were some peculiar things that happened…  
And there were some things he knew that made him worried…  
As he started going into his home's kitchen, still in pyjamas, he yawned a bit as he neared the refrigerator…

"I assume that you are Darius Duke, are you not?" a strong deep voice suddenly interrupted, coming from the other side of the kitchen, at the entrance to the living room.

Darius nearly flung the refrigerator's door wide open as he heard the voice and spun around, looking toward the unknown speaker.

It was a tall figure, probably seven feet tall. And that person was wearing a long gray hooded cloak that hid all of the person's features, but judging from the voice, it probably was a man.

"Who-Who are you?!? How did you get here?" Darius asked, panicked.  
"I am one who works for the Balance…just like you, Darius Duke…"  
"The Balance…" Darius repeated, his eyes widening. "You're with _them_?"  
"We are both working for _them_, as you are saying…" the cloaked figure answered.  
"I…I see…" Darius said, looking defeated. "What do you want?" as asked as he looked uncertainly at the cloaked person.  
"I am searching for two persons, two teenagers. I have been searching for them since a while already, and I have been informed that they were here, in this city. Thus, knowing that you are recently one of our group, I was wondering if you knew their wherabouts."  
"Okay…So, who are those two you're looking for?" Darius asked, still feeling discouraged…

Because he knew he had to obey.  
He had no choices after all…

"Their names are Regan Astrasz and Kari Kamiya." The cloaked man said. "Yes, you did heard 'Kari Kamiya', just like from the Digimon anime show. In fact, it is indeed her, from the show, as we could say…"  
Darius was uncertain. He knew about Kari…since he did met her once…

"Well…I'm not sure I've seen them. How are they looking like? I'm talking about that Regan of course." Darius asked.

The cloaked man raised one hand, and then he held his palm upward, wide open. A light glowed, floating above the cloaked man's palm before it started twisting and then taking the shape of a small version of Regan.  
"As for Kari, I do not think I would need to show you her appearance…" the cloaked man said. Darius was sure the man was smiling beneath his hood.  
"That boy…yeah, I think I've seen him before…a few times already. I also saw him with a girl, which looked a lot like Kari. Perhaps it could be her?" he said.  
"Perhaps you could show me then…" the cloaked man said before he brought his hand down, dispelling the image he had projected, and then took something in his cloak before he approached Darius to give it to him.  
Darius extended his hand to take it and then looked at it. It was a small crystal-clear globe. It seemed to have no imperfections of any sort and was easily fitting in his palm.  
"Now then…" the cloaked man said.  
Darius nodded and tightened his hold on the sphere, knowing what he had to do. He concentrated himself, thinking about the girl he had often seen with that Regan.

The globe in his hand glowed before a light appeared over it, creating a small image of the said girl, the day when he had bumped into her and Regan…

After he had…died…

"She looks a lot like her." Darius said, eyes still closed. But somehow, he was able to see what he was projecting.  
"I think it is her. She must be using a hair dye, not doubt. And if indeed, you saw her with Regan Astrasz, I doubt it would be someone else.  
Any informations about their whereabouts?" the cloaked man asked.  
Darius opened his eyes and lowered his hand holding the globe, dispelling the images at the same time. He nodded negatively.  
"I'm sorry, but I don't know where they could be. However, I know they seem to be good friends with two other persons."  
"And these two are?" the cloaked man asked, tilting his hooded head a bit.  
"They are Kylee Henke and Riza Ryuzaki. The two best Digimon Tamers in this city." Darius said, and then concentrated himself, projecting an image of the two with the globe, showing when he had met them yesterday.  
"The girl has an Impmon while the boy has a Veemon. Kylee is the best of the two, and the best of the city." Darius added, his eyes closed.  
"And their whereabouts?" the cloaked man asked again.  
"I know where they live. I can give you their addresses if you want." Darius said, dispelling the images once more.  
"Please do." The cloaked man answered.  
Darius nodded before starting to walk away, giving the cloaked man his globe as Darius started writing on paper the addresses, then gave them to the man who had hid the globe in his cloak.  
"Thank you. Your efforts will be noted of course." The cloaked man said as he read the addresses.  
"I understand, Master." Darius said, lowering his head a bit, now feeling nervous.  
"Master?" the cloaked man said curiously. "I believe you are making some misassumptions. You see, I am indeed working for _them_, and I am indeed on a much higher rank to them than you are, but I do not see why you must call me 'master'.

True, I heard the reasons that made you being one of their 'minions'. Not exactly something truly honorific indeed…" the cloaked man said, speaking seriously.  
Darius said nothing, but was still very nervous, he was sweating a little.  
"I think I do understand why you are so respectful.

After all, not everyone has been granted the privilege to live again, right after having died. And as a return for your new 'life'…" the cloaked man said.  
"I have to work for those who are our masters…" Darius finished. "I know…I haven't forgotten anything…nor what happened when and before I died…"

Despite his actions to the Tamers and the Digidestineds, Darius Duke was still the same one that they had encountered when he was the leader of Black Spear…  
Only, he had to change…for he had no choices anymore…  
He owed his life to others, and had to work for them now…

"Thank you again for your work, Darius Duke. If I will need your services again, I will do so." The cloaked man said before starting to walk away…and then vanished into nothingness…

Darius Duke finally breathed a little bit easier…but he still was very worried.  
He wondered what this man wanted with Regan Astrasz and Kari Kamiya…

---

Kylee and Riza had woken up late, considering how late they went to bed. The day started rather normally for the two of them. Right after breakfast, Kylee phoned Riza, asking him that they should meet up to go to Regan and Kari's hideout to see how they were doing with their partners back. Riza had agreed.  
And so Kylee left her home, along with Impmon, while Riza went on with Veemon.

Both kids met up along the way to Regan and Kari's hideout. "Hey there Kylee…" Riza said, a little bit uncertainly though. He clearly hadn't forgotten about the 'date' yesterday night. And so hadn't Kylee…and especially not Impmon, though he didn't knew a lot about what happened, but it had been a lot to him.  
"Hey there Kylee's boyfriend!" Impmon said to Riza as he waved at him.  
"Impmon!!!" both Kylee and Riza yelled, blushing both. Veemon sighed and slapped a hand to his face. "Impmon, could you cut out about that for now?" Veemon said.  
The 'death-glare' sent by both Tamers also added insistence to what Veemon had just said.  
"Humpf…fine…" Impmon pouted as he crossed his arms and looked away.  
All the other three sighed, more relieved.  
"So, nothing new?" Riza asked.  
"No, nothing. And especially didn't heard anything about the school re-opening." Kylee said with a smile.  
"Yeah, at least that's kinda a good thing." Riza said with a hesitant chuckle. "I wonder how the other two are doing right now."  
"Well, considering that their partners are back, I'm sure it must be really well…though I'm sure that Lizomon will try to spoil out as much as possible…" Kylee said, finishing with a moan.  
"Yeah, sometimes Regan isn't really lucky." Riza said with another chuckle.

---

Kylee's mother had also started getting ready for her day, when she heard someone knock on the door. She went for it and opened.

A tall, gray cloaked man stood at the entrance. Though, it was clearly a man, some of his features were hidden by his hood. "Excuse me, but is Kylee Henke here?" he asked.  
"No sorry. She's out somewhere." Kylee's mother answered.  
"Oh? And you might know where they could be?" the man asked again.  
"No, I'm sorry. Are you from the police?" she finished worryingly.  
"Oh, not at all. Your daughter has done nothing wrong, don't worry madam. Thank you for your time." The man replied.  
"You're welcome." Kylee's mother replied, and the cloaked man turned and walked away, as Kylee's mother closed the door later on.

So…he had missed her. And he suspected that if Kylee was not at home right now, Riza Ryuzaki probably wasn't as well, considering he had checked up at Riza's home right before coming to Kylee's house…

Very well, he would still have to search more…  
But he truly wanted to find Regan and Kari soon…

---

After an eventless walk to Regan and Kari's hideout, both Tamers and their digimon went upstairs in the old building, arriving in front of the appartment used by the two Digidestineds.

"Hey Regan? Kari?" Kylee said as she entered the appartment, and saw no one in the living room.

"Kylee? Is that you? Get here, quick!!!" Lizomon's voice came out from the bedroom, and he sounded…panicked…

Lizomon's voice tone obviously spurred out the Tamers and their digimon as they hurried strait for the bedroom.  
And all four of them gasped as they saw what was wrong inside.

Kari, still half-lying in the bed, with her sickened look in her face while Regan was down on the floor, as if he had fallen. His right hand was holding one of Kari's hands. And he too didn't look well.

Both Gatomon and Lizomon were there, looking very worried about their partners.  
"Regan!"  
"Kari!"

Both Tamers went up to the two stricken Digidestineds. Kylee went on the left side of the bed to check on Kari while Riza went on the other side, going for Regan.  
"Do you guys know what's wrong with them?" Riza asked to Lizomon and Gatomon.  
"I'm not sure…" Lizomon said worryingly. Gatomon also nodded negatively, looking worried as well. "We woke up and we found them like that…" she said as well.  
"Kari doesn't seem to react at all…" Kylee said, sitting near Kari. "I'm getting a pulse…but that's all…What about Regan?"

"Let's put him on the bed, that'll help." Riza said. With Lizomon's help, he dragged Regan on the bed, making him opening his hand that held Kari's at the same time.  
While Riza was busier in putting Regan on the bed, Lizomon noticed a detail when he saw the hand that had been holding Kari's.

Regan had removed his glove on his right hand…  
Though right now, Riza hadn't noticed something peculiar in the palm…  
An egyptian ankh-like symbol in a four pointed star, all of the symbol being coloured red.  
And that was the Crest of Life.

"I get it…" Lizomon muttered darkly as his gaze hardened on his partner.  
"Huh?" The two Tamers and their digimon looked at him confusedly, while Gatomon looked a bit worryingly at him. "What do you mean Lizomon?" Gatomon asked.  
"Now I get it why he was holding Kari's hand…" Lizomon answered.  
The others looked at his right hand, and the Tamers and their digimon looked only more confused.  
"What's that mark in his hand?" Impmon asked.  
"His crest." Lizomon answered. "Yeah, he got it before as a tag, but there was a little problem, and it involved Ragnarok in it. Anyway, the crest shattered, but he managed to recover it…but in that way…" Lizomon explained. "And it's through the crest that Regan is using his healing power…you're getting it now?"  
"Yeah…" Veemon said hesitantly.  
"He somehow noticed Kari was sick, and he used his crest to try to heal her…" Kylee started.  
"But it didn't worked…or perhaps it did…but Regan got that malady as well…" Riza finished.  
Regan stirred very slightly.  
"But it looks like Regan's in a better state than Kari! Look!" Impmon said, pointing at Regan who moved slightly.

"Regan!" Lizomon spoke loudly, jumping on the bed and near his partner. "What happened?"  
"Ugghhh…Lizomon?" Regan muttered, barely opening his eyes and moving.  
"What is wrong with you and Kari?" Gatomon asked, jumping on the bed as well.  
"Poison…some…malady…" Regan replied.  
"Huh?!?" All the others were a lot confused, but then Gatomon and Lizomon looked a bit down.  
"I think I get what he means…" Gatomon said.  
"What?" Kylee asked.  
"In the places where we've been, we kinda caught up some sort of sickness, since the place isn't really, really healthy at all…but it never affected us. We thought we were immune to it and had nothing to worry about that…" Gatomon explained.  
"But when we got back to you…we transmitted it to Regan and Kari when we Bio-Merged…and they're even more vulnerable to it as well, since we absorbed the exceed data they had from their Bio-Modify." Lizomon finished.  
"Uh…what do you mean?" Riza asked. "Has Bio-Modify something to do with Bio-Merge as well?"  
"Well, actually, the one who arranged the Bio-Modify process planned on Bio-Merge to actually 'heal' Regan and Kari of the digimon data in their bodies, since we can't really remove the data that they accidentally got. It would kill them.  
So, it has to be removed slowly. That said guy has actually planned that Bio-Merge is the key for that. When Regan or Kari Bio-Modifies him or herself, he/she release the digimon data, which is stored. The data merges, in a way, with their bodies, and changes them.  
But when it's over, the human body can't really handle well all the extreme activities they did, which explains their pained condition every time they're over with it.  
But as they constantly use Bio-Modify to get that data, in spread, in a way, in their bodies, making them…'different'…as long as that data isn't removed." Lizomon said.

"So, to remove that data, you guys are using Bio-Merge…so that the data goes back to the digimon, right?" Riza asked.  
"Exactly." Gatomon answered with a nod. "But right now, Regan and Kari are at their most 'purest' human 'status', which means they're the closest they can be to normal human.  
And that state is also the most vulnerable to that malady they've gotten."  
"Darn…that really sucks for them right now…" Impmon said uncertainly.  
"But there's gotta be a way we can help them!" Kylee said.  
"There's…something…" Regan said weakly.  
The others looked at him.  
"I'm…I'm using my…'life force'…to sustain Kari…to help her fight her own…  
Somehow…I know I can fight it…but Kari…somehow…she can't…" Regan continued.  
Kylee and Riza instantly thought about those times (in the show) when Kari had been very sick. Even though it seemed that Kari had rather gotten rid of that…she still was weak and vulnerable, in some ways…  
And no doubt that Lizomon and Gatomon knew that detail…  
Regan strained to rise up. "I've got to…" he started.  
"No!" Kylee interrupted. "You can't just always try to help her, especially if you could be killing yourself!"

In all of this, Kylee remembered her conversation with Kari, in the restaurant's bathroom...  
How she had said about Regan that nearly killed himself before, as he tried to save Kari...  
"Regan, what would Kari think if she knew what you're doing right now? She'd understand that you can't always do everything to help her, okay?" Kylee asked, looking strait at him, in his eyes.  
Regan looked down, saddened…then he looked at Kari, still looking sick.  
"But...we got to help her..." he said.  
"Hey look, we can try to think of something, okay?" Impmon said.  
"He may be right..." Lizomon said with a thoughtful expression.  
Regan was clearly unsure if he should really agree on that.  
"Hey look Regan. We're your friends, right? And Kari's a friend of us as well. So, we'll help her. Got it?" Kylee said.  
Sadly, and still as sick as before, Regan finally nodded. "Okay..."

Kylee sighed in relief. She then looked at Riza. "Hey Riza, do you think you could try to find out something for Kari?"  
"Uh, me?" Riza said. He then rubbed the back of his head. "Well…I don't know what I could do…but I'll try…" he said. "Come on Veemon."  
With one last glance at Kari, Riza and Veemon went away, leaving the appartment.

Regan struggled again to sit this time. He groaned and looked at Kari.  
"Regan…please…You got to recover your strength too…" Kylee insisted.  
Regan shot up a glare at her. "But I'm the only one that can try to help Kari. You want that I do nothing and watch her die?" he asked.  
"Regan, it's not what she wanted to say." Gatomon interrupted.  
"She's right about this." Lizomon added.  
Regan looked at the digimon, still rather unpleased.  
"Regan…you need to recover…  
But…me, I'm all right…  
Could you give Kari some of my own strength?"  
"Kylee are you crazy?!?" Impmon said. "You get that thing too!"  
"Well…I'm not that sure about that…" Lizomon said, thoughtful. "You guys did touched both of them, and you didn't got sick. As for Kari and Regan, they got it because they directly connected to us in Bio-Merge. If Regan were to transfer some of your life force in Kari, you wouldn't get that sickness after all…if I'm not wrong…" Lizomon added darkly.  
"…Lizomon may be right…  
But you really want to do it?" Regan said, looking darkly at Kylee.  
Kylee nodded, her eyes determined. "Yeah. I'll do it."  
"Alright…Put your hand on hers…" Regan said.  
Kylee did as Regan asked. She put her hand on Kari's.  
Then Regan put his hand over both Kari's and Kylee's. "You're still-"  
"Yeah. Do it." Kylee interrupted.  
"You'll probably feel a lot tired after it…if you're lucky and don't get that sickness…" Regan warned before he closed his eyes and concentrated himself.

A red glow appeared beneath Regan's hand, slowly enveloping Kari's hand and Kylee's. Kylee then gasped.

The three digimon simply watched a bit helplessly and worryingly.

---

"Man…how are we supposed to find some kind of help for them?"  
"Yeah, Kylee got some weird ideas by asking us to go away. What could we be searching for?"

Both Riza and Veemon were walking in the streets, looking quite unsure as they talked among each other about the current and serious problem they had on their hands.

"But Riza, what should we do now? Go to the pharmacy?" Veemon asked.  
"Uhh…wellll…" Riza started.

Then he bumped into another person and fell on his back.  
"Oh Riza! Are you okay?" Veemon said.  
"Yeah…" Riza said, then looked at the person he had bumped into.

That person was quite tall…really tall compared to Riza. The person also wore a long gray cloak with a hood, which had fallen.

And it was a man, with strong, narrow hawk-like features, along with sharp and deep black eyes. His hairs were of a silver color, and were quite long as well, probably of shoulder length.

But perhaps the most unusual and unsettling detail about that man was on his right cheek…

He had scars on it, which were parallel and travelled down his cheek.

"Hum, sorry mister." Riza said a bit uncertainly. "Kinda was distracted."  
"It's alright…" the man said with a strong deep voice. "I was not paying a lot of attention as well…" he added as he reached out a hand to Riza to help him get up.  
"Well, thanks, but I got to be on my way. Goodbye sir." Riza said with a little nod and started walking away from the cloaked man.

As he started walking away, the cloaked man dusted himself slightly and started putting his hood on…

"So Riza…what are we gonna try to do for Regan and Kari?" Veemon asked to Riza as both had been some distance away from the man.

Behind them, the man froze, and his eyes narrowed as he slowly turned to look a bit at the pair.

"So…I've found you, at last…" the man muttered as he put his hood completely on. "And clearly, Darius was right…You know of Regan and Kari…"

He then waved his right hand in front of his face…and as he did, a shadow started to cover his face, masking it completely in darkness.  
"Now…we begin…" the man spoke…before he vanished…

"Darn it. If only we could find out something to do…" Riza said, completely unaware of the cloaked man that had vanished behind them.

"Riza Ryuzaki…" a deep voice spoke in front of the two. Riza and Veemon stopped as they noticed the gray cloaked figure now standing in front of them, hood down…and the face completely hidden, impossible to see…

"Uhh…weren't you behind us just a minute ago?" Riza said uncertainly, looking worryingly at the cloaked man.  
"That doesn't matter…For you have something I want…Or rather, know something I seek…" the cloaked man said.  
"I seek the Child of Life… And I am quite sure you know where he is…" the cloaked man added.

"_Child of Life? Who's that?"_ Riza thought. Whatever that mysterious man spoke of, he probably wasn't planning something good…  
"Uh, I don't know who you're talking about, honestly." Riza said, stepping back slightly from the cloaked man.  
"I am quite sure you know of what I mean, Riza Ryuzaki…" the cloaked man said, stepping forward once.  
"Well, what are you gonna do if I'm not wanting to 'help' you?" Riza asked angrily.  
The cloaked man raised a hand then tightened it into a fist. A large fire burst out around the hand, growing as he opened his hand and the fire continued to remain intense.

He then held out his flaming hand toward a nearby bush before the flames rushed out from his hand, enveloping the bush and incinerating it, leaving only ashes…

"Does this bring out an appropriate answer?" the cloaked man asked very seriously.  
Riza and Veemon's eyes widened as they both gulped. Whoever was that man…if he actually was one…Well…he didn't look that sympathetic…

"Oh well…Hey, what's that?!?" Riza suddenly said, pointing behind the cloaked man.  
The cloaked man started turning around, and Riza suddenly ran away, grabbing Veemon by the arm.

"What was that kind of trick?" Veemon said.  
"Well, it worked, didn't it?" Riza said. "I don't think we should fight that guy! So, let's run for now!"

The cloaked man's eyes narrowed again as he stopped turning and heard very well the footsteps of Riza going away. He sighed. "Fools…"

He held out a hand toward Riza. Flames emerged around the man's hand before they rushed forward, going strait at Riza. At mid distance, the flames changed shape, turning into a large hand.

Both Riza and Veemon let out a scream as they ran out into a side alley, barely evading the large flaming hand which dissipated further away.

"Man…Who is that guy?" Veemon said.  
"Like if I'd know." Riza replied. "But how can he do that? And wouldn't there be anyone noticing what's happening?"

"No, there will be no one who will notice." The voice of the cloaked man spoke he appeared in front of Riza and Veemon once more.

"Riza! We run?" Veemon asked.  
"…No! We fight!" Riza replied. "Digi-Modify! Digi-Egg of Courage, activate!"

"_Veemon, armor digivolve to…Flamedramon, the Fire of Courage!!!"_

The cloaked man simply stared out at the digimon standing in front of him.  
"Very well then…" he said as he simply crossed his arms, then snapped his fingers together, energy sparking on them.

"Fire Rocket!" Flamedramon yelled before he threw a series of flaming ball at the cloaked man.  
Flamedramon's mysterious opponent reacted by waving one hand in front of him before an orange colord barrier appeared and blocked all of the fire balls.  
"Uhh…Riza, we have a plan B?" Flamedramon asked uncertainly.  
"You could simply surrender and tell me what I want to know. As simply as that.  
But since you decided to make this harder on me, I will have to take more drastic steps…" the cloaked man said as he dispelled his barrier before energy glowed in his other hand.

"Let's finish this right here and now..." he simply said.  
He then held his hand toward Flamedramon and Riza.

---

A few streets away, as people went on with their lives, like Catherine, the little girl Kari had met a few days ago, the ground briefly shook, making the little girl who was reading a book and sitting on a bench, startle.

She looked around and noticed nothing wrong. Shrugging, she went on reading again…

Unaware of whatever dire fate had just befallen Riza Ryuzaki and his digimon partner…

---

Kylee felt really, really tired. She didn't know how much time she had been only half-conscious, but truly, the feeling of having her life force drained wasn't a pleasant one.

Still…there didn't seemed to be that much changes in Kari's state, and though Regan seemed to have recover more of his strength (and was still fighting his own sickness), he still didn't look well either.

Right now, she was lying on the couch in the living room. Slowly, she rose up before taking out a long tired breath.

"Man…I hope I didn't make a wrong decision with that…" she muttered as Impmon was walking to her, a glass of water in hand.

And suddenly, Kylee and Impmon stumbled on the floor as it suddenly shook briefly.

"What the hell was that?" Regan said from the other room.  
Lizomon quickly rushed out of the bedroom before going out at the window.  
"I don't like this…Something's not right…" the dragon digimon said, his eyes narrowed. He sniffed the air once…then his eyes widened. He started sniffing again.

"No…this can't be right…" he said.  
"What's wrong?" Gatomon said as she hurried up out of the bedroom as well.  
But before Lizomon could answer, the phone started ringing.

Impmon, who was the closest to it, picked it up. "Hello?" he asked.  
A little while after, he frowned. "Kylee, it's for you." He said.  
A little bit worried and confused, Kylee went up to the phone, with some little troubles though. When she was close to it, Impmon gave it to her.  
"Kylee here." She said in the receiver.  
"Kylee Henke…" a deep voice spoke in the phone. That voice didn't made Kylee feel really well, but rather nervous. "I have your friends Riza Ryuzaki and his partner Veemon in my possession."  
"You what?!?" Kylee said, eyes widening.  
"Yes, I have them. I am quite serious."  
"Who are you? What do you want?" Kylee then said more angrily.  
"I seek the Child of Life." The man answered on the phone.  
"The Child of Life? What are you talking about?"  
"Oh, I am quite sure you know of who I am talking of…" the man spoke again, his tone sounding slowly more impatient.  
"I don't care who's that 'Child of Life' you're looking for! All I want is that you let Riza go from your hands!" Kylee yelled in the phone.  
"Very well. Let us consider an arrangement. Come meet me at the eastern city park as soon as you can. I will be waiting there…to fight you.  
If you succeed in defeating me, then I will let Riza and Veemon go.  
If I defeat you, then you will tell me all I want to know about the Child of Life.  
Is that clear?" the man said on the phone.  
"…Okay. I'll do it." Kylee answered.  
"Very well. I will be waiting now. Oh, make sure to bring Impmon with you." The man said before he cut the communication.  
Kylee put back the phone as she stared at it.  
"I think we'll have to leave that in your hands Kylee…" Lizomon said darkly.  
Kylee hadn't noticed that both Lizomon and Gatomon had approached her while she was talking on the phone. It was probable that they actually heard the conversation thanks to their superior hearing.  
"Alright. Just keep an eye on Regan and Kari. Make sure he doesn't make something too stupid." Kylee said.  
"You got that right." Lizomon replied.  
"Let's go Impmon." Kylee said to her partner.  
"Okay. You'll tell me on the way." Impmon replied.  
Then both Tamer and partner went on, though Kylee still showed some signs of fatigue…

Lizomon's eyes narrowed as he looked at the two going away.

"Gatomon…" Lizomon started darkly.  
"Yeah?" the cat digimon asked.  
"That voice on the phone…That man…  
I'm not completely sure because of the phone…

Bu I think that voice was familiar…" Lizomon said.  
Gatomon was thoughtful for a little moment before replying.  
"Yeah…you're right. It's familiar to me too…"

---

"Riza and Veemon kidnapped?!?" Impmon said.  
"Yeah! That's what that man said! He wants us to meet him at the east park!" Kylee said to Impmon as both ran to meet up with whoever had captured Riza and Veemon.  
As they ran up among the crowds, a small form quickly darted from the shadows of buildings to trees, quickly and steathily attempting to keep up with the pair…


	9. Wisdom of Trust part 2

"_As I came into this city, I searched information about whom I sought : Regan Astrasz and Kari Kamiya. A newly 'recruited' 'servant' of us was willing enough to deliver me some useful information, along with some that would knew where the Digidestineds would be._

And, by having taken Riza Ryuzaki and his digimon, I seek to force Kylee Henke into a confrontation so she will reveal to me what she knows about the Digidestineds' location…

But only the future will tell for the result of our confrontation…"

**Chapter 9 : Wisdom of Trust part 2**

This was the second biggest of all the parks in Phoenix City. While many trees were visible in the place, along with a group of them nearly forming a circle in the park's middle, there was a large pond as well, near the center.

And standing in the center was a gray tall cloaked figure with its hood down on the face. It watched and waited patiently…

Until it noticed two persons approaching the area, both running, one much taller than the other.

Kylee and Impmon.

As Kylee approached the center of the circle of trees, she noticed the lone gray figure standing. At first, she wondered if that person was the one that had phoned her…

"Hey you! Are you the guy who called me about Riza?" she said.  
"Indeed, it is I, Kylee Henke." The cloaked figure answered, with indeed the same voice than what she heard on the phone.

"Where's Riza?" Kylee then asked angrily.  
"Of course…there he is…" the cloaked man replied as he waved at his right side, and a small dome of blue light appeared near some trees. In it lied Riza and Veemon, both uncounscious and bearing some slight burn marks.

"What have you done to them?" Impmon asked.  
"Nothing truly critical. They will be able to recover in time…" the cloaked person said. "Now…for the battle you promised me, Kylee Henke."  
"Battle?" Impmon asked. "Why did he want to fight us?" he asked as he looked at his Tamer.  
"He wants someone. This 'Child of Life' as he said." Kylee answered.  
Looking strait and defiantly at the cloaked man, Kylee spoke again. "Okay we'll fight! Like you said on the phone : If I win, you let Riza and Veemon go." She said.  
"And if I win, then you tell me what I want to know about the Child of Life." The cloaked man answered. "We indeed have a deal."  
"Right…" Kylee muttered. "So, let's do it…Ready Impmon?"  
"Yeah, I'm ready." Impmon replied as he stepped in front of Kylee, as she took out her D-Arc.  
The cloaked man then raised a hand before turning his hand to the sky and started making a grasping gesture…

Red energy glowed in his hand…then it swept down on the ground, in front of the man before it rose and started taking a shape…

Kylee and Impmon's eyes widened as they recognized the shape, and the appearance of what had just been 'summoned' by their mysterious opponent…

An Impmon…just like Kylee's. However, he looked a lot different…less 'real'…for he was of a more red shade of color. But the look in his eyes could also make others think he actually is a real digimon…

"What the hell is that?!?" Impmon asked, eyeing the other Impmon, dumbfounded.  
"It is your opponent. Who else? After all, it is a fight between Digimon, isn't it?" the cloaked man spoke. "Impmon, attack." It then ordered.

The man's Impmon suddenly darted forward, eyes narrowing.  
"Go for it Impmon!" Kylee yelled.  
Kylee's Impmon charged forward, clutching one fist tight as he neared…

"Badaboom!" he suddenly yelled as he threw a fire ball toward the red shaded Impmon and jumped back at the same time.

The reddish Impmon stopped before making a large sweeping motion with his right hand.  
A large fire wall appeared, blocking the fire ball of Kylee's Impmon, before it faded away.

"What was that?!?" Kylee said, surprised.  
"Did you expect that my 'Impmon' would use the same kind of attacks as yours? It has different ways of attack, as you will see…" the cloaked man said, sounding unsuprised.

The reddish Impmon held out his right hand opened toward Kylee's Impmon before yelling "Blaze Funnel!"  
A large stream of flames poured out of his hand, going strait for Kylee's Impmon, who fortunately, easily evaded before rushing strait at the cloaked man's Impmon. He held on fist high before striking the other Impmon right in the face, and got thrown back.

"Nice work Impmon!" Kylee said with a smile.  
"Heh, not as good as the real thing eh?" Kylee's Impmon said with a taunt.

The reddish Impmon quickly spun in the air and easily landed on his feet, looking unharmed. He held out his two hands together. "Twin Blaze Funnel!" he yelled.  
Two larger streams of flames poured out of his hands, rushing even faster than the previous attack, toward Impmon.

"Oh snap…" Impmon muttered before he rolled out of the way, barely evading the flames this time.  
Just as he started rising up, he noticed the reddish Impmon falling down on him. Impmon jumped out of the way, just as the cloaked man's Impmon slammed the ground where Impmon previously was, completely crushing the ground itself under the fist, and creating a small shockwave that pushed Impmon back.

"Okay…so, you ARE stronger than I thought…" Kylee's Impmon said, stepping back as he recovered. "But it doesn't mean you can beat me! Badaboom!" he added as he threw another flaming ball at the reddish Impmon, which was struck this time.

"Badaboom!" Impmon threw out yet another flaming ball, not letting to let up.  
A large fire wall warned him that his attack was yet blocked again…before the reddish Impmon burst out of the flames, quickly rushing at him.  
Just as the reddish Impmon threw a left punch at Kylee's Impmon, he dodged to the side, but got hit by the reddish Impmon's right punch instead, sending him slamming against a tree farther away.

"Impmon! Are you all right?" Kylee asked, worried.  
"Ugh…I'll be okay…he drove out the air from my stomach with this one…but I'll be careful now…I'm not gonna let myself being beaten by a copy!" Impmon said, rising up and standing to fight again.

"It is true that my…creation…is no true digimon. However, he is quite enhanced from yourself. As a construct, he is quite strong." The cloaked man said.  
"Well, I can tell ya that I've faced a really tough digimon before! And your copy Impmon wasn't as really rough as him!" Impmon replied.  
"Yeah! Lizomon was really rougher than this!" Kylee added.  
The cloaked figure started for just a little instant, but it slightly leaned forward, 'looking' interested.

"Lizomon eh?" he said.  
He held out his hand toward his copy Impmon before speaking a series of really strange words, words that neither Kylee nor Impmon had heard before…

The copy Impmon started glowing before turning into red energy once more…and started reforming itself…

…into Lizomon…a reddish version of him, to be exact…

"_No way…he knows of Lizomon?"_ Kylee thought, eyes widening as she saw the changed construct Digimon.  
"_Then…could that mean…  
…that the 'Child of Life' he's looking for…  
…is Regan?"_

Impmon gritted his teeth hard as he glared at the copy of Lizomon.  
"So…like Lizomon, only worse eh?" Impmon said. "Okay, bring it." He then added.  
The copy Lizomon growled before roaring and charging at Impmon then he burst into flames, increasing its speed at the same time, obviously replicating Lizomon's Flame Charge attack.

Impmon quickly made a small side jump to evade the charge, but the other briefly stopped itself, letting the flames continue their charge while he went strait for Impmon, yelling "Strato Ball!" before spewing out a pair of multi-coloured energy balls at Impmon.

"Whoa! That's even faster than usual!" Impmon yelled as he jumped out of the way of the twin energy balls. "But I won't allow a copy to even beat me!" Impmon then ran toward the copy Lizomon, who charged at him again. The copy Lizomon jumped over him as he neared, seeking to slam down his feet into Impmon, though Impmon quickly rolled down before throwing a "Badaboom!" strait at the copy Lizomon. However, the copy Lizomon started spinning on itself, wings extended. Wings that slapped and deflected the fire ball strait at Impmon.

Impmon didn't had time to move as he got struck by his own attack. He screamed a bit in pain as he was thrown back by his attack, which then followed by the copy Lizomon slamming him in the chest before rising its two paws to deal a finishing strike…

Impmon gazed as he saw the copy Lizomon's attack came down on him, and tried to move away…though he knew he wouldn't be able to dodge it…

But the claws never struck Impmon, as another mass blocked the claws with a winged appendage before slamming the copy Lizomon on the side.

"You're okay Impmon?" a familiar voice came to the impish digimon's ears as he noticed who was the one who just saved him.

And it was Lizomon. The real one.  
"Lizomon? What are you doing here?" Kylee said, surprised.  
"I followed you. What else?" Lizomon said with a shrug of his shoulders.

He then looked toward the copy Lizomon, and toward its maker.  
"I knew that the voice on the phone was familiar…and I was really right…Elder…" Lizomon said, his eyes fixed upon the cloaked figure.

"Lizomon…" the cloaked figure said. "At last I've found you."  
The cloaked figure started stepping forward, but Kylee ran up to Lizomon and stood near him, along with the injured Impmon.

However, as they neared, Lizomon raised both his wings and blocked Kylee and Impmon's paths. "No worries. I know this guy. He's a friend of us." Lizomon said.  
"What?!? That guy is one of your friends?" Impmon said.  
"Oh yeah he is. I know, he looks a lot weird and sometimes act really weird, and can even seem wacko, but I know this guy really well, and helping the Digidestineds and the Digital World is his true and ultimate objective…

Even if sometimes his methods seem to make that he does otherwise…" Lizomon explained, a small smile on his face.

The cloaked man stopped as Lizomon spoke of him. "Lizomon speaks the truth. Ever since Regan Astrasz and Kari Kamiya have disappeared from the Digital World along with their digimon, I have been searching for them.

It was truly a stroke of luck that the Mistress of Dreams decided to inform me that she had located them." The cloaked man said.

"'Mistress of Dreams'? Wait a minute, you don't mean…Ysera?!?" Kylee said, eyes widening.  
"Lady of Dreams, Mistress of Dreams, The Dreamer…All of those are just many titles that she may be known as." Lizomon said with a shrug, still smiling.  
"But…why have you been attacking us?" Kylee said.  
"Bah, the Elder has always been odd in his actions, though I guess he may have gotten a little bit…desperate…about searching for us…" Lizomon said.  
"Desperate?" Kylee asked, a bit confused.  
"Ehm…nevermind. The Elder considers all Digidestineds in being really important, but it's fairly obvious Kari's kinda special among them, right?" Lizomon said, slightly uneasy.  
"Elder…So, that's your name?" Impmon said, glaring suspiciously at the cloaked figure.  
"One of the few titles I have been often called. But yes, 'Elder' may be my most common 'name'." the cloaked man answered.

He then lowered his head his head slightly, as if bowing a bit. "My apologizes for those attacks on you and your friends. As Lizomon stated, I have been searching for them since some time now…" the Elder said before holding his hand toward the globe that held Riza and Veemon prisoner. The globe vanished instantly, and both Riza and Veemon started awakening slowly.

"Riza!" Kylee shouted as she ran up to Riza and Veemon, followed by Impmon. "Are you okay?"  
"Ugh…I feel like I've been in an earthquake…what just-" Riza started then he noticed the cloaked figure standing nearby. He jolted, starting to rise up quickly.  
"No Riza. He's a friend of Lizomon. At least that's what he's saying…" Kylee said, trying to reassure her friend, though she herself was still having some distrust toward the cloaked figure.

Lizomon walked nearby to the Elder, shrugging again. "I don't know what's wrong with you all the time, but you always seem to be a bit distrustful to people." Lizomon said with another small smile.  
The Elder turned his head slightly at Lizomon. "I am well aware of this. But I have gotten used to that. Humans fear what they don't understand and they can hate it as well." The cloaked figure answered.

"So…who are you exactly?" Riza said as he started coming with Kylee and their digimon toward the Elder and Lizomon.  
"I am but one of the many servants of the Digital World. One of the many who strives to keep the world in balance, along with the worlds whose fates can be affected by the Digital World's." the Elder answered.

Impmon looked at his partner before making a 'crazy' gesture, spinning a finger to his head's side, obviously indicating he really thought the cloaked figure a bit wacko.

"So...you're a bit like Gennai, only with super powers?" Kylee said. She then gasped. "Oh! Regan and Kari! They're both really sick! Perhaps you could do something for them?" Kylee then said.

The Elder started a little bit, obviously worried about learning that new detail. He looked at Lizomon who had a dark expression, confirming Kylee's words.  
"Then we should make haste and go where they…" The Elder started, but then suddenly stopped "Prepare yourselves! We are about to be attacked!" he suddenly warned.

Kylee, Impmon, Riza, Veemon and Lizomon quickly looked around, seeking an unknown foe…

And they were greeted by many, as multiple human-sized creatures made of shadow came out from all directions. Most of them were rather human-like in appearance, though they were hunched and had long claws.

"Strato Ball!" Lizomon yelled, spewing out a ball of multi-coloured energy at the nearest one, hitting strait in the thing's head, destroying the monster in a puff of smoke.

The Elder gave out a sharp command (yet again in an unknown language) at his reddish Lizomon copy before the 'digimon' rushed forward, bursting in flames as it charged upon another of the enemies.

Just before the Elder was going to strike, he suddenly turned at the two Tamers and their digimon before uttering strange words, his hand pointed at the digimon. Both briefly glowed before all their wounds vanished.

"Hey! I feel as good as new!" Impmon said with a grin.  
"You did this on us? Thanks!" Veemon said.  
"Don't waste too much time now. You should use fight as best as you can." The Elder said, not only to the digimon, but to their Tamers as well. He then turned his attention back to the approaching enemies.  
"Right." Riza said. He pulled out two cards from his pockets and handed one to Kylee. The Digi-Egg of Friendship card.  
"You'll need it." Riza said.  
"Yeah, I know." Kylee answered. She swiped the card in her digivice. "Digi-Modify! Digi-Egg of Friendship, activate!"

"_Impmon, armor digivolve to…Thunderbirdmon!!! Friendship's stormy wings!"_

"'Friendship's stormy wings'?" Kylee said at her digimon, a bit confused. "Don't you think something like 'The wings of Friendship' would have been better?"  
"Eh, that would have sounded too lame." Thunderbirdmon replied.  
"You got some weird tastes sometimes Thunderbirdmon…" Kylee said with a sigh.  
"Anyway, time to fight again!" Thunderbirdmon said as he rushed to the skies, readying to strike…

"Digi-Modify! Digi-Egg of Courage, activate!"  
"_Veemon, armor digivolve to…Flamedramon, the Fire of Courage!"_  
"Well at least you-" Riza started, but his digimon interrupted him.  
"Riza, we don't really have time with that kind of thing. Let's just start fighting then we'll talk." Flamedramon said.  
"Oh yeah, sorry." Riza said with a hesitant chuckle.  
Flamedramon then rushed near Lizomon. "You're sure about going in?" he asked.  
"I'll make due without an armor digivolution." Lizomon said with a shrug. "Let's go!"

Flamedramon and Lizomon separated and rushed toward some of the dark creatures, as Thunderbirdmon dove down from the skies.

"Strato Ball!"  
"Flame Fist!  
"Thunder Stormer!"

All three digimons' attacks landed excellent marks among their opponents, destroying many of the dark creatures that rushed toward them. However, new one appeared to take the former's places.

Extending his right hand, the Elder drew an invisible line around himself and the two Tamers, uttering another short series of strange words.  
Huge stony spikes, the size of adult-sized human, jutted out of the ground, forming a circle around the three, which could act as some protection.

"Woah! How did you do that?" Kylee asked with surprise. She had already seen some of the strange capabilities of this 'man', but it was starting to look more impressive.  
Ignoring her, the Elder continued his work. Holding his hand toward another group of approaching enemies, he uttered one strange word.

The fingernails on his hand snapped off before they flew away at the Elder's chosen targets. But as they flew, the fingernails grew in length and in sharpness. And when they struck their targets, they had become the length of half an adult's arm, easily destroying the dark creatures.  
The Elder then rubbed off his hand, where new fingernails had already grown, before preparing another attack. He waved toward another group before once again speaking strange words.

The grass beneath one group of the dark creatures suddenly straightened…before it suddenly grew and rose up to the skies…like large green steel lances, impaling all the dark creatures that were caught off in the attack.  
A few instants after that attack, the grass retracted and turned back to normal.  
"Man…I'm glad he'd rather on our side now…" Riza said to Kylee, in awe about the strange and incredible abilities of the Elder.  
Even Thunderbirdmon and Flamedramon had been a bit distracted by the Elder's attacks, which had destroyed a greater number of the strange creatures than any of the digimon all together had accomplished.  
"Geez, he was really playing out easy on us before…" Thunderbirdmon muttered before swatting one dark creature with a wing. That creature was then struck by a Strato Ball from Lizomon.

As for Flamedramon, he was currently stuck beneath a large group of the dark creature which had piled up on him.  
"Riza…mind a little help?" Flamedramon managed to say.  
"Hold on!" Riza said then took out a card before swiping it in his D-Arc. "Digi-Modify! Power, activate!"

Flamedramon briefly glowed before a fire started in the pile of the dark creatures…then a large explosion of flame erupted from it, disintegrating the fiends as Flamedramon pulled out of it in his Flame Shield. "Now that's better…" he said before turning at another group. "Fire Rocket!" he yelled before bursting in flames and charged at that group, striking them and burning them to smoke…

Lizomon swiftly dodged a series of slashes coming from many of the dark fiends as they attempted to stop him. "Please, you're gonna need to do better than that!" Lizomon said with a smirk. "Flame Charge!" he shouted before charging in his opponents, covered in flames as he struck them one by one, flying back to hit out those he had missed.

Yet, despite that they had destroyed many of the dark creatures, more came…  
Suddenly, from the skies, large flaming meteors fell, striking a massive amount of the dark creatures. The Tamers and their digimon looked in shock toward the Elder, who was currently holding his hand to the sky. No doubt he had been the one who had created this 'Meteor Rain'.

"This cannot go on like this…" the Elder muttered. "No matter how much we destroy, they always reappear…"  
Making yet another large sweeping motion, the Elder pronounced a large series of strange words. All the trees around them started quivering…before their roots pulled out of the ground…and the trees actually taking a 'life' of their own.

As they 'stood' the trees now had a slightly more humanoid appearance…as best as it could be, considering that they were normally trees, but many of their branches had merged into more human-like limbs, although looking gnarled, but their limbs now ended with sharp-looking wooden claws.

All the animated trees started swiping and striking at any of the dark creatures that were in their path, giving out an excellent distraction for the digimon, the Tamers and the Elder. The Tamers and their digimon were clearly shocked to see this incredible act from the Elder.

"They should give us the time now that we need. We should leave now." The Elder said, bringing back the Tamers to reality. "Digimon! Pull back to us now!" he then added to the attention of the digimon.  
Uncertain, Flamedramon and Thunderbirdmon came back inside the stone spike circle in which Kylee, Riza and the Elder were. Lizomon and his copy soon followed after, the copy Lizomon turning back into red energy before it was absorbed in the hand of the Elder.

"We're leaving?" Lizomon asked.  
"We should get to Regan and Kari as soon as possible. Who knows if this isn't a distraction while someone else attempts to attack them?" The Elder answered.  
"Geez, he's right!!!" Thunderbirdmon said.  
"Both of you, de-digivolve now. It would not really help me for what I will plan to do." The Elder suddenly said to Flamedramon and Thunderbirdmon.  
Unsure, the two digimon looked at their Tamers and Lizomon.  
"You guys should do that. I think I know what he's going to do, and you'd better de-digivolve for making it easier on him." Lizomon insisted.  
Shrugging, the two armor digimon obeyed before reverting back to their rookie stages, as the Elder remained silent.  
"What are you going to do?" Kylee asked to the Elder.  
"Lizomon. I need you to show me where Regan and Kari are." The Elder said to Lizomon.  
"How are you going to do that?" Riza asked.  
"We'll simply link our minds, as simple as that." Lizomon said, as if it was nothing.  
"Link your minds?" Kylee said.  
Lizomon didn't explained as he flew to the Elder's level and stared deep into the hood, opening his mind to the Elder, as he showed him in it, the place of their hideout.  
"You got a specific place now?" Lizomon asked as he retreated his mind from the Elder.  
"Yes. Now, we go." The Elder answered.  
"Go to the hideout?" Impmon asked. "But we're really a lot far from it and with all those-"  
The Elder simply raised his arms before a brief but sudden flash of light engulfed all of them, and vanished, leaving no traces of anyone.

The dark creatures then stopped…before all vanishing as well.  
And with their enemies gone, the animated trees all went back to where they once stood before reverting back to their normal state.  
And without the Elder nearby, the stone spike circle also vanished as well, all traces of the previous fight now fading…

---

A flash of light appeared in the living room of the apartment used by Regan and Kari as their hideout, and the Tamers, their digimon, Lizomon and the Elder all reappeared.  
"-creatures around us we won't…" Impmon had continued talking, completely unaware of what just happened, until he realized that they were no longer in the park anymore, but in the apartment.  
"What the…What did he just do?!?" Riza asked, completely astonished as he pointed at the Elder.  
"He simply teleported all of us here, that's all. He's pretty good huh?" Lizomon said with a smile.  
Gatomon suddenly came in the living room as she heard the commotion. Still looking worried, her eyes widened when she saw the Elder.  
"Yep, it's the Elder." Lizomon then said. "He's been searching us since we were gone." He added, staring strongly at Gatomon, though there was something else in his eyes…  
Gatomon nodded then sighed a bit in relief, though she still wasn't completely relieved.  
"Elder! We need your help! Regan and Kari, they're-" Gatomon started, but the Elder interrupted her.  
"Yes, I've always been told of the situation." The Elder replied.  
"Wh-What the…you here?!?" a rather weak voice spoke, coming from the bedroom, and everyone saw a still sick-looking Regan standing at the doorstep.  
"Yes, and it is good to see you Regan." The Elder said, staring at Regan.  
"Yeah…I guess…it's good to see you too…Elder…" Regan said, still weak.  
"We shouldn't waste anymore time now." The Elder said, walking toward Regan. "Let us deal with what is afflicting both you and Kari.  
Oh, and Gatomon, Lizomon, come with me. I would want that you explain in detail what happened about this malady."  
"Okay." Lizomon said as Gatomon nodded, and the two digimon went to the bedroom as well.  
"Wait a minute! What do we do?" Kylee asked.  
"You will have to wait while I will heal them." The Elder answered, turning to them as he stood at the bedroom's doorstep.  
"And we're supposed to believe that?" Impmon said suspiciously.  
"Listen guys, I know you don't completely trusting him, but you gotta believe me on that. He wants to help us. Trust me at least." Lizomon said with a very deep and serious expression on his face.  
"Well…okay…" Impmon said, rubbing the back of his head. "But I'm warning you old man. You better not do anything bad to Regan and Kari, or their digimon, or you'll have to answer to me!" he added angrily.  
The Tamers and Veemon also stood near him, adding further emphasis on their opinion on that subject.  
"Very well…" the Elder said before walking in the bedroom with the digimon and closed the door…

---

For perhaps half and hour, nothing seemed to happen in the bedroom as it seemed dreadfully silent, except for some mutterings at first. The Tamers and their digimon waited nervously as they could do nothing. The only real signs of any activity in the bedroom were some weak red light coming from beneath the door.  
"Man…is it over soon?" Kylee asked, yawning as he stretched on the couch. Riza was pacing back and forth in front of her while Impmon was sitting on the couch and Veemon was on the table nearby.

The bedroom's door finally opened and the Elder walked out as the Tamers and their digimon hurried and stood up to get the news of the result.  
"Done." The Elder simply said, and now, the shadow that covered his face was gone, revealing what was underneath. Riza had already seen the silver haired and scarred face of the Elder before, but Kylee and Impmon hadn't seen it of course. She was a bit curious about why that shadow was gone, but a more important question was on her mind now.  
"Regan and Kari? How are they?" Kylee asked.

In answer, new persons came walking out of the bedroom.  
Still dressed in their clothes for the 'date' yesterday, and looking a bit tired, Regan and Kari looked kindly at Riza and Kylee, as their digimon also stood at their feet with a more relieved expression.

"Yeah! You guys are okay!" Impmon said as he ran up to them, followed by the others.  
"Are you really okay Kari?" Kylee asked.  
"Yeah…I'm fine…just tired, that's all…" Kari replied with a tired smile.

While the Tamers and their digimon continued to discuss of the state of Regan and Kari, the Elder started walking a bit away from the children and the digimon.

"Of course, you guys got really lucky that you found the Elder." Regan then said. All the kids and the digimon turned at the cloaked figure.

"Indeed, a stroke of luck, as we could perhaps say, but we should also thanks Ysera for having informed me of your location." The Elder said.  
"Ysera did that?!?" Kari asked.  
"I'm sure it was after that we had to help her, I guess…" Regan said.  
"Probably." Lizomon said.  
"Well…I guess Ysera actually helped out much more than we thought right guys?" Riza said.  
"Yeah. She really helped out…even if we didn't really thought it was the case…" Kari said.  
"Kinda like the Elder." Lizomon said.  
"I have done only what I had to do, that is all." The Elder said with a nod.  
"Hey, you saved their lives, and that's a lot. Thanks." Impmon said.  
"You are welcome Impmon." The Elder returned. "Now…that reminds me Tamers, I would need to ask you a something. Would you come over here?" he added, motioning to him as he put himself a bit further away from the kids. "I will also have to talk to you as well, Digidestineds, but later."  
Nodding, the Tamers and their digimon went up to the Elder before they started discussing.  
"I wonder what they're saying." Regan said.  
"Beats me. Can't hear a thing of what they could say. I guess the Elder made some kind of invisible sound shield." Lizomon said.  
"That's only making things a bit more suspicious." Gatomon said, her eyes narrowed.  
"I'm sure it must be something important though…" Kari said a bit sadly.  
The other three looked at her a little bit confused.

But before they could ask her what was wrong, the Elder spoke to them. "Regan? Kari? Can we talk now? I think though that a walk outside would be appropriate for the two of you at the same time." The Elder said, while the Tamers and their digimon were standing slightly behind him, though looking a little bit troubled.  
Regan nodded. "Okay. Give us a minute to get changed up." He said.  
The Elder made a simple nod. "Very well."  
Regan and Kari went in the bathroom and the bedroom respectively, as they proceeded to get back in their more usual clothes…

---

"So, you've finally found us…Now what?" Regan said.  
Regan and Kari, now dressed back in their usual clothes (though for Kari, it was the other clothes she had bought in this world), were walking in the city, along with their digimon, and the Elder. Regan's question had undoubtedly been asked at the Elder.  
"Many things may happen…" the Elder answered.  
"But now that you've found us…it may mean…that we'll have to go…" Kari said sadly.  
Regan and the digimon looked at her a bit worryingly.  
"Indeed." The Elder answered.  
"I see what you mean Kari…And you're probably right on this Elder. After all, we can't stay here forever…" Lizomon said.  
"Hey, enough of this!" Regan said angrily. He stepped forward and stopped in front of the Elder.  
"I don't get it why we need to call you Elder. After all, we know who you really are…Krasus…" Regan said seriously.  
"That's right…" Kari said with a sad frown. "I don't get it why we had to call you 'Elder' while we should be calling you Krasus, by your name."  
"I would prefer that for now, my name is not known to the others. They may be your friends, true. But they may not be allowed to know too much…" the cloaked man, Krasus answered  
"Still…Now, what are going to do? Usually, with you, there's always something else Krasus." Regan said.  
"Perhaps…however, why don't you start by telling me what has been happening to you while you were here?" Krasus asked. "And please call me 'Elder' again, especially when the Tamers are nearby."  
"Fine…" Regan answered.

---

"And so, after that we beat that monster in the Dark Ocean, we returned here, and went back to our hideout." Kari finished.  
"You forgot some…'details'…" Lizomon said with a sly grin.  
"Like if we'd need them!" Regan yelled angrily at his partner.  
"Lizomon, perhaps those details may not be that necessarily important. I only asked the really important things after all…" the 'Elder' said.  
"So, is there anything you can think out of this, Elder?" Kari asked.  
"Mmm…I cannot say…" Krasus answered, thoughtful. "You mustn't be under the misconception that I can know and expect everything. Remember that."  
"So, you're saying that you're as clueless as us…great…" Regan said sarcastically.  
"Or he probably has some hypothesises…" Gatomon added.  
The Digidestineds and their digimon looked again at Krasus.  
"Gatomon marks a point Elder." Kari said. "You may already have some hypothesises about some things. So, any ideas?"  
"I do have ideas…but I will need to think further on this…" Krasus answered. "In the meantime, why don't you go spend some of your time trying to relax a bit?"

The question surprised both Regan and Kari a bit.  
"Hey…he's kinda right…" Lizomon said. "Did we got any real rest in any of this?"  
"Yeah…you're probably right on that one, Elder." Regan said. "I'll just go around. You're coming Lizomon?"  
"Sure." Lizomon answered.  
"I would recommend that you meet up with me later on. Same place…perhaps in half an hour?" Krasus asked.  
"Well…okay…" Kari said. "Come on Gatomon."  
With that, the two Digidestineds walked away in different directions with their digimon, away from Krasus.  
The mysterious 'elder' sighed with some relief. He had a few other things to verify in the meantime as well…  
Turning, the cloaked man started walking, his own goals in mind, very well planning to be back in time for the two Digidestineds.

---

"Ahhh man…I think he was right on that, taking a break for now…"  
"Yup. I know you're not always respecting him, but he's often right you know."  
Both Regan and Lizomon were in the park where they had first come into this Real World, Regan sitting on the exact same bench while Lizomon held on the tree where he was at first.  
"In all of this, we never really planned a goodbye for the two Tamers, right Regan?" Lizomon said, thoughtful.  
"Yeah…We were all busy and in chaos when it all happened. We never really had that much chance to say goodbye…The only thing we could say was 'thanks', that's all…" Regan added, a bit saddened.  
"I hope we'll be able to have a more appropriate way to say goodbye this time…" Lizomon said.

"Hey Regan!" another voice intruded. Regan looked to the right where he saw a familiar figure standing…with a Monodramon with him.  
"Hey Darius…You got a digimon?" Regan said with some curiousity.  
"Yup. I'm now a Digimon Tamer." Darius said with a smile.  
"Well, that's great for you." Lizomon suddenly intruded, dropping from the tree and on the bench.  
"Hey, who's that digimon Regan? Yours?" Darius asked with some curiousity.  
"Oh…" Regan started, looking at Lizomon then smiled. "Yeah. He's my partner. We got separated since a while ago…but we finally got back together now. Together we're a strong team."  
"Nice!" Darius said. "Hey, think you can try a fight against us?"  
Lizomon chuckled. "Hey Regan, why not?" he added, smiling.  
"Yeah, you're right about that." Regan replied, smiling as well. "Okay, we'll go for it. But watch out, Lizomon's a really fierce one."  
"Heh, let's see what Monodramon will do. You may never know what'll happen." Darius said as Monodramon put himself in a battle stance, smiling.  
Lizomon also brought himself ready.  
"Ready? Go!" Regan shouted.

The two digimon rushed strait for each other, Lizomon grinning wide…

---

"Boys…" Kari said with a slight giggle. She couldn't help but do so, since she had noticed the fight that had started between Regan and Darius. She started walking away again, followed by Gatomon.  
"We aren't watching?" Gatomon asked.  
"I don't think we'd really need to." Kari said with a slight happy smile. "I don't think Regan and Lizomon are going to lose…"  
"Yeah, you're right." Gatomon replied.  
Kari then noticed someone ahead of them. She smiled as she recognized who it was. Catherine, the little girl that, apparently, may be the 'Kari' of this world…  
"Hey Catherine!" Kari shouted, waving to the little girl.  
"Kari!" Catherine shouted back as she noticed Kari that shouted to her. The little girl then came up to Kari, smiling.  
"Hey there!" Catherine said happily. "How are you doing?"  
"Fine." Kari said. "What about you?"  
"Great! There are chances I could get a digimon to raise!" Catherine said happily.  
"Oh? That's really good!" Kari replied.  
"You got a digimon too?" Catherine asked, looking at Gatomon.  
"Oh well…actually, I had her since a long while ago. We got separated recently because of some problems, but despite that, we managed to get back together." Kari said, borrowing a bit of what Regan had used with Darius. "So, what will be your digimon?"  
"I hope it can be a Salamon!" Catherine said with a wide happy smile.  
That made Kari giggle. "Aw, you really are a fan of Kari Kamiya, right?" the Digidestined asked.  
"Yup! Just like you after all, right?" Catherine asked.  
"Oh…Well…of course." Kari said, still smiling, though she felt a bit more uneasy within.  
"Well, it was nice to see you again, but I think I gotta go." Catherine said.  
"No wait. Mind that I could stay with you for a little while?" Kari asked.  
"Okay." Catherine answered, smiling.

The two girls then continued walking, Gatomon following them…

---

Half an hour later, both Regan and Lizomon were walking back to where Krasus, or the 'Elder' wanted to meet again. While Regan looked normal, Lizomon had a few bruises and hits, from the fight he just had.  
"Well, at least you didn't really caused much collateral damages this time…" Regan said.  
"Heh, he wasn't that hard, you know." Lizomon said with a grin.  
"I know…" Regan said.  
"Hey Regan." Kari and Gatomon came up from behind them, and walked aside them.  
"Oh, hi Kari. You've been okay?" Regan asked.  
"Yeah." Kari answered with a nod. "So, you've won your fight eh?"  
"Oh, you were watching?" Regan asked.  
"Only watched the beginning. It would be a bit obvious who would have won…" Kari replied, giving a side glance at Lizomon, who simply chuckled.  
"Yeah yeah, we won..." Regan said. "Kinda easy to guess."  
Ahead of them, they noticed the familiar grey cloaked form of Krasus he waited for them. As the four neared, he turned to them.  
"Ah, I see that you appear to be fine now. Good." Krasus said.  
"Yep. Nothing like a little free time to help clear out your head." Lizomon said.  
"In which this free time appears to have been a fight in your case, Lizomon…" Krasus added as he looked at Lizomon. Lizomon chuckled hesitantly as he smiled.  
Krasus turned and started walking. Not really knowing what else they could do, or what could Krasus have in store for them, the two Digidestineds and their digimon followed after the cloaked figure.  
"So…what about…leaving?" Regan asked uncertainly and saddened. The other three looked at him, a bit worried.  
"I will see about that soon. It may take some time though…" Krasus simply answered, still walking.  
"Well, that'll be good to make…our goodbyes to the others…" Lizomon said a bit sadly and darkly.  
Kari looked a bit saddened as well. She hadn't known Riza and Kylee as long as Regan and Lizomon did, but they really prouved themselves to be really good friends…  
And it pained her that they would have to leave soon…  
After all, now that Krasus was here, he could soon prepare a way for them to return to the Digital World…  
Kari sighed sadly. "I don't know if I'm asking too much about that…but I'd really want that we could spend a little more time with them before we'll have to leave…" Kari said sadly.  
"Yeah…me too…" Regan replied, hands in his pockets.  
As they said that, having entered the building used for their hideout, and climbing the stairs, Krasus remained silent, not speaking about that.  
"Krasus, you did heard us about that, right?" Regan asked straitly at the cloaked figure in front of them.  
"Indeed." Krasus answered. Then he remained silent.  
Regan growled a bit. "Honestly Krasus, why are you remaining silent about this? Can't we have the right to still have some time with our friends?" Regan asked angrily as they neared the front door of the appartement.  
Yet again Krasus remained silent. He pushed the apartment's door open and entered inside, and just as the Digidestineds and their digimon started entering, they heard "Surprise!!!" yelled out from Kylee, Riza, Impmon and Veemon.

Both Regan and Kari jumped in surprise as they saw the Tamers and their digimon. And no doubt that Lizomon and Gatomon were surprised as well.  
"What-What's what about?" Regan asked confusedly.  
"Well…the Elder suggested us it'd be nice to make up some little party for you guys." Riza said with a wide grin.  
Kylee smiled as well, but the smile on her face faded somewhat. "After all…you may not stay here for long anytime soon now…" she said sadly.  
"…" Both the Digidestineds and their digimon were a bit troubled by this, but then Regan looked at the 'Elder'. "So…you planned this when you were talking to them earlier eh? Geez, and I thought there was gonna be something really serious you were talking about…" Regan said sourly.  
"Well…besides, we gotta have some real fun together…" Kylee said.  
"After all…we're friends…right?" she asked.  
Regan remained stonefaced, staring at both Tamers. They looked uncertainly at him.  
He walked up to them…then hugged both of them at once, their heads forcifully clinging to his.  
"Thanks guys…thanks a lot…" both Kylee and Riza heard Regan say…on a partly sad tone. Impmon and Veemon could actually notice that Regan was crying a bit.  
"Thank you too Regan…" Riza said before he and Kylee gave a brief hug to Regan.

"Well…I wouldn't really want to feel a bit too left out…but what else you got for us now?" Kari asked with a small smile.  
"Sorry Kari. We didn't wanted to leave you out." Kylee said, walking up to Kari. "It's just…we met Regan a good while before you."  
"Yeah, I understand." Kari said. "But I'd hope that you two can consider me a friend as well, just like Regan…"  
"Oh, of course!" Kylee replied. "We'd love to be your friend as well Kari!"  
"Thanks…" Kari said, smiling tiredly. She held her hand to Kylee, and Kylee, noticing that, took Kari's hand before shaking it.  
"Oh, by the way." Riza said as Kylee released Kari's hand. "We planned something special for tomorrow. We nearly forgot about it with all the problems there had been."  
"A surprise?" Lizomon asked. "And what is it?"  
"Hey dragon-wannabe, if we were to tell ya, it wouldn't be a surprise." Impmon said sarcastically, grinning.  
Lizomon simply chuckled at this.  
"Anyway, you'll have to wait tomorrow for it." Kylee said. "But we got a few things for you guys. Come on." She added as she went into the kitchen and took something on the table.

"Here's something to start up." She said, holding what she had taken. It was a sheet of paper, but with a drawing on it.

She had drawn all four of the kids with their digimon on it. Riza stood on the far left, having a happy expression as he held Veemon on his back, who looked as happy as his Tamer. Kylee was standing to his right, smiling happily as well and holding Impmon in her arms, though he looked only half-pleased, and blushing a bit. Standing to Kylee's right was Regan, arms crossed as he showed a determined smile and Lizomon was standing at his feet, showing a similar expression. Kari was on the far right, next to Regan, and she held her hands together and smiled peacefully. Gatomon was right next to her, arms crossed and smiling.

"Wow! It's really beautiful!" Kari said as she looked at the drawing Kylee had made.  
"Speak for yourself…" Impmon said as he looked away.  
Lizomon laughed. "What?!? You don't like being held in Kylee's arms?" he said very mockingly. "Come on, where's your spirit of friendship?" he added, laughing.  
Regan chuckled as he looked at the picture. "Man, you got some real talent there Kylee. I'm a lot impressed. I knew you were an awesome Tamer, but I didn't thought you were drawing as well."  
"Oh well, that's another habit, like any others." Kylee replied, smiling.  
"And we even got a little cake. Come on, let's get it!" Veemon said happily.  
"Hey Veemon, wait up! Not now!" Riza said, going after his partner who went further in the kitchen to get the cake. All the others laughed as they saw this.

Meanwhile, as they continued to talk and enjoy their time together, Krasus watched with a slightly tired expression, and with a slightly regretful one as well.  
He turned his back on them before walking away, exiting the apartment and closed the door silently.

He then brought one hand in his cloak, searching for something, then pulled it out.  
It was a pure green colored crystal with no imperfections of any sorts, and was small enough to fit in his palm.

Oddly enough, it looked radically similar to the same one Ysera had once given to Kylee…

"Ysera…Lady of Dreams…I seek to commune with you…" Krasus muttered, closing his eyes and picturing the emerald 'lady' as best as he knew.  
"_Aaahhhh…Dear and wise Krasus…I am relieved to hear of you again…"_ Ysera's voice said in his mind. "_Do you have news for me?"_  
"Yes." Krasus answered. "I have found the two Digidestineds and their digimon. They were indeed where you said."  
"_These are good news. I believe that soon, you will be able to send them back into the Digital World appropriately…"_ Ysera's ethereal and dreamy voice replied in the 'Elder''s mind. "_Anything else?"_  
Eyes still closed as he communed with the Lady of Dreams, Krasus' face took on a far darker expression. "Yes…" he answered darkly. "I have made my searches about this mysterious phenomenon that had blocked the Nightmare in this city, as you requested…"  
"_And?…"_  
"Your suspicions were indeed correct…

_Something_ has drawn the Nightmare in the city…  
And as you said…it was not some simple phenomenon…But probably a sentient force…"  
"…_This is very troubling Krasus…Very troubling…I recommend that you and the Digidestineds stay in this city for a longer time, so to see if anything 'odd' may happen so you can find out what was the cause of the Nightmare's coming…"_  
"I had already anticipated this, and it is why I have taken on an opportunity to distract the minds of the children and their digimon, so they will not suspects our plans.  
However, I believe that there is more than simply having attempted to attract the Nightmare in this city. The Digidestineds have told me what happened to them before I found them.

They spoke about attacks from some unknown creature of darkness that often possessed other living creatures. And very recently, I, along with the Tamers, their digimon and Lizomon, were attacked by mysterious dark creatures.

I believe all of this may have a link…" Krasus said darkly.  
"_This is indeed very troubling and suspicious…Good work in your investigations. Continue further. I will discuss of this with the others for now…"_ Ysera replied before she finally left Krasus' mind.

Opening his eyes and slowly pocketing the crystal in his cloak, the 'Elder' considered his options and his ideas…  
There wasn't much to do but to wait for now…  
Putting the hood on, Krasus walked back inside the apartment, silently opening the door as the Digidestineds, the Tamers and their digimon all continued to talk and enjoy their time right now…unaware of others' plans that concerned them…

"_They are very capable though…  
I have faith in them…  
As I always have faith in humanity…"_ Krasus thought with a very little smile.


	10. ‘Armored’ convention

"_Often when you admire someone or something, you will try to emulate it in many ways…_

Perhaps what I saw as the most unusual way of emulation is to actually imitate the idol…  
Humans no doubt seem to have…'perfected' this in the best of varieties, not perfection, since I admit that they are not always expert in imitating others…

But I do hope that this desire of emulation that comes from admiration can really aid the Child of Light…  
For I know that in her heart, there is still one thing that truly troubles her, aside from knowing her feelings well…"

**Chapter 10 : 'Armored' convention**

The day started rather normally and peacefully for Regan…at least, for once…  
Yawning and stretching as he raised out of the bed, since this time, Kari decided to sleep on the couch bed. As he slowly walked out of the bedroom, still slightly sleepy eyed and in his pyjama, he noticed Kari, sitting cross-legged on the couch bed and in her pyjama as well. She looked slightly more awake than Regan though, and she was holding her digital camera in her hands, looking at its screen.

"Good morning Kaaaaaaari…" Regan said with a yawn. Kari giggled as he yawned, making Regan feeling yet uncomfortable for a brief moment.  
"Good morning Regan." Kari replied with a smile.  
"What are you looking at?" Regan asked as he sat on the edge of the bed.  
"Oh, simply the pictures we took yesterday." Kari replied before moving aside to better show Regan the screen of her camera.

Right now, on the camera showed a picture with Regan, Kylee and Riza. Regan stood between the two Tamers and had his arms around the two others while the two others had an arm around him. Riza stood at his right, grinning and winking while Kylee showed a more kind and pleased expression. As for Regan, he smiled more with a more determined expression as well and winked. The sun had also started to set, and it had created a brighter setting of color, but the picture was quite well despite that.

"Man, that's an awesome picture Kari." Regan said, smiling at her. Kari laughed a bit. "Thanks. That's probably my best one." She replied.  
She pressed a button on the camera, changing picture, to one where Impmon was seen stealing Riza's piece of a cake, and started leaving away with his prize while Riza had an outraged expression. Regan, Kylee and Kari were also seen in the picture, along with Gatomon. While Regan laughed a bit and Kari was giggling, Kylee was smiling hesitantly, and obviously sweating. Gatomon, who was seen only a little bit, had more of an annoyed expression, while Veemon, who was also seen in the picture, had a more worried expression.  
As for Lizomon, he wasn't seen in the picture, but considering that there was the hint of a claw in the upper right corner of the picture, it obviously showed that he was the one who took the picture.

"Man…Lizomon got really lucky with that one…" Regan said, chuckling as he looked at the picture. He then stopped chuckling and his look turned more worried. "He didn't take some kind of…embarrassing picture, did he? He could have done that…" Regan then asked.  
Kari smiled hesitantly. "Don't worry, he didn't take one…fortunately." Kari answered.  
Regan looked toward the bedroom, where Lizomon was still sleeping…and his snoring could actually be heard a bit. Gatomon though was still sleeping, curled up on a cushion.

"Man…it's just so peaceful…and it's so great…" Regan said with a tired and pleased smile.  
"Yeah…" Kari said dreamily…  
After a while, Regan finally got up from the bed, stretching a bit again. "Well, we should get ready soon to go meet up with Kylee and Riza, for whatever that surprise is…" Regan said.  
A few seconds after that, the telephone rang. Regan went up to it and took off the receiver. "Hello?" he asked.  
"Hey Regan, it's Kylee. I got some other news for you. Come meet us at my house a bit after dinner. Oh, and also, there's another detail for Kari." Kylee said in the phone.  
"Oh what is it?" Regan asked.  
"Kari will have to come dressed with her normal clothes. I mean, the show's clothes, if you get what I mean. Oh, and she doesn't need to put up hair dye" Kylee answered.  
"May I ask why?" Regan asked again, his expression darkening slightly.  
"You'll see later!" Kylee answered on a happy tone. "Bye!"  
With that, she cut off the communication between them.  
Regan was slightly troubled about what Kylee had just asked. All four of them knew that Kari couldn't really go around with her 'Season 2' clothes, since she would draw too much attention…So why is Kylee asking that Kari comes to her house dressed with those said clothes?  
"Something wrong?" Kari asked a bit worryingly.  
"Something weird I should say." Regan replied, giving a slightly weird glance at Kari. "It was Kylee. She was that we meet them at her house after dinner…and she also asked that you come dressed with your 'normal' clothes…And put on no hair dye today."  
"What? You mean my clothes, like in the show? And no hair dye? But everyone around will think I _am_ Kari Kamiya." Kari said.  
"I have no idea why she's asking that, but she should know about that fact too…" Regan said. "We'll take Dracomon to go to Kylee's house, so to be less noticed."  
Kari nodded to that idea. "And I guess I'll need to wear your cloak, again…"  
"Well, probably not when we'll be at Kylee's place, but for whatever else she planned out, yes." Regan added.  
Kari then sighed. "Oh well, we should get dressed up then…"  
With a nod, Regan went into the bedroom while Kari went for the bathroom with her clothes…

---

"They're not suspecting anything, do they?" Impmon asked with a sinister grin.  
Kylee giggled. "Yup. I'm sure they have no idea what we're planning for these two."  
The phone rang again and Kylee picked it up.  
"Hey Kylee, it's Riza." Riza said on the phone.  
"Hi Riza!" Kylee said with a smile.  
"So, is it working?" Riza asked.  
"Yup! They have no idea what we have in store right now…" Kylee said, lowering her tone more like a conspirator.  
"Hehe, yeah…They're probably worried about why we're asking that about Kari…But I'm sure they'll love it later." Riza said his tone also lowered on the phone.  
Kylee giggled again. "Yup…I'm sure Kari will love it the most…"  
"Anyway, see you after dinner?" Riza asked.  
"Yeah. Nothing's changed for the hour. But you should better hurry because I'm sure Regan and Kari are going to come with Lizomon digivolved."  
"Got it. Bye." Riza said as he put back the receiver.  
On her side, Kylee also put back the receiver.

"I see that things are going well for you two's plan…" a voice spoke behind Kylee. Surprised, she turned, Impmon as well, to see the Elder standing behind them, a little distance away, his arms crossed.  
"Hey! You never heard about privacy or what?!?" Impmon said angrily.  
"I simply wanted to see how things were going concerning your plan." The Elder simply said.  
"Oh, well, it's going well. I think neither Regan nor Kari have any idea of what we've planned." Kylee said with a little smile.  
"Good. Perhaps I should be watching once you will be 'there'." The Elder said.  
"Well…that's your choice…" Kylee said with a shrug.  
The Elder nodded before vanishing again.  
"Geez…that guy is just plain weird…" Impmon said with a frown.  
"I know…" Kylee replied. "But remember what Lizomon said about him."  
"Yeah, I know…But he's just weird, and it's really hard to really trust him…" Impmon said.

---

Krasus reappeared far elsewhere from Kylee's house, and deep underground…

He stood in a large cave…one of the caves used by the Dark Spear criminal gang, but now it had been completely emptied of their presence and Krasus had taken claim of the area.

Walking into the 'arena' in which Kylee fought Devidramon, Krasus looked around, and also upward, where the hole had been completely repaired. He sighed then raised one hand upward, then started speaking words unlike anything that even the Tamers had heard before…

Darkness spread out from his hand, darkness that poured out everywhere and _devoured_ everything, leaving Krasus in a seemingly emptiness of darkness…

He then kneeled down, lowering his head. "I, humble servant of your Greatness, await your desires…" Krasus spoke.

"_Ahh…my dear…Krasus…"_ A female voice spoke…

But it was not Ysera's. This one spoke with a motherly gentleness.

"_So, are you ready?"_ A male voice asked, seriousness being the only thing that sounded in the voice.  
"Indeed…" Krasus replied, his head still low. "We are ready, the plan is in place." He said.  
"_Sssoon…all piecesss will be…ssset…You will need to ssstand ready, Krasusss…You and the mortalsss…"_ Another male voice spoke slowly and hissing often.

"_So…Now, we will be able to gain more insight concerning those events on this world. Finally."_ Another female voice spoke, and this one was familiar, for it was Ysera's voice.

"Truly a chance that there is this event that will happen today. It will be of good advantage for us." Krasus said. "And not simply for attempting to discover more insight about those attacks, but it will be useful for the Digidestineds and the Tamers."

"_Mind to explain?"_ the gentle female voice asked.

"Of course…" Krasus answered. "I know how troubled the Child of Light is. This could actually help her."  
"_Humpf…"_ the serious male voice snorted with some slight disdain. "_And in which way exactly?"_  
"_Kari Kamiya, the Child of Light, is troubled in her mind…Mainly because of the situation on this world, concerning her status as who she may be on this world…"_ Ysera explained.  
"_Yesss…Because she would be a fiction to the eyesss of many…Not real…"_ the slow male voice said.  
"Indeed." Krasus added. "This will allow her to see more of the perception that many may have about her…It could be troubling her more instead, but it is a risk that we can take…"  
"_I see…"_ the serious male voice said. "_One detail…Krasus….  
You should not manifest yourself greatly today, so to lessen chances of being noticed by those forces we seek to discover more on…"_  
"_But perhaps you should make sure that the Tamers can be safer and stronger…"_ the gentle female voice spoke again.  
"I had already considered this." Krasus spoke. "And dealt with that detail already."  
"_Good then. It is settled."_ Ysera said.  
"_Good luck, my dear Krasus…And be wary…"_ the gentle female voice spoke once more…with a slightly more concerned tone.  
"I will…" Krasus answered with some pride, which was a bit unusual…

Then the darkness faded around him, and Krasus found himself back into the large cave. He rose up before summoning out a large throne-like stone chair and sat on it. The hooded mage then held up one open palm skyward before muttering a few words, creating out a blue ball of light in his hand.

Lowering his hand, Krasus focused and gazed into the ball…  
The light inside the ball shifted, new colors manifesting before it shaped into recognizable forms…First, Kylee's house…then inside the house…  
Krasus continued to watch with his magical probe as he considered his next actions…

--

The door bell at Kylee's house rang and Kylee soon went to the door and opened it to see Riza waiting. "Hey there Kylee."  
"Hi Riza. You're just in time." Kylee said with a smile, and then it faded. "Hum, mind coming into my room? There's something I have to show you…" she added a bit worryingly and silently.  
"Mmm? Sure." Riza said, wondering what it was.  
He entered the house and followed Kylee to her bedroom. On the bed, there was a small package that had already been opened.  
"What's that?" Riza asked.  
"It came with a message. Here." Kylee said, handing the message to Riza.  
Riza took it and started reading it:

'To Kylee Henke and Riza Ryuzaki,

I apologize for the rude introductions we had, but I would like to apologize. For this, I have decided to give something to both of you.

Also, take it as a 'Thank You' for having helped Regan and Kari when they needed help.

The Elder.'

"The Elder? A gift? What is it?" Riza asked.

"You're not gonna believe it…" Kylee said, and then put her hand in the opened package…  
And pulled out two identical cards…She handed one to Riza…

And he could recognize that it was…a Digivolution Card.

"H-How did he manage to get that? And why is he giving us that?" Riza said, obviously a lot surprised.

"I don't know…" Kylee said a bit confusedly. "But I guess he has his reasons…" Kylee replied.

The sound of the door bell ringing again snapped both Riza and Kylee, along with their digimon, from their current thoughts.

"I'll go get it!" Kylee's mother said.  
Frowning a bit, Kylee hurried out of her bedroom for the door, to see her mother starting to open it.

---

As both Regan and Kari had arrived at Kylee's house with Dracomon (who had de-digivolved back to Lizomon) and Gatomon.  
And a little while after Regan had pressed the door bell's button, a woman, which had to be Kylee's mother.  
"Hello, are you Kylee's…" she started, then looked a bit oddly…at Kari…  
Kari started to feel very uneasy, and really wondered why Kylee had wanted that she came, dressed as her real self…  
"Oh, you're here!" Kylee said from behind her mother. "Hey Kari, you did your costume really well! You look just like Kari Kamiya from the show!" Kylee said with a little giggle.  
"Hum, thanks…" Kari said.  
"Oh…for a moment I nearly thought that you were indeed that girl from the show…Nicely done for a cosplay costume…" Kylee's mother said before going back in the house.  
Regan and Kari looked a bit oddly at her, then at Kylee.  
"Well, don't stay here, come in!" she said.  
Unsure, both Digidestineds and digimon took the invitation and entered the house, Kylee closing the door behind them.  
Soon after that, Kylee led them to her bedroom, where Riza and the Tamers' digimon were waiting. "Hey guys! Nice to see you came." Riza said.  
"Well…thanks…" Kari replied. A frown then came up on her face as she looked at Kylee. "Mind explaining what's going on? Why did you say to your mother that I was wearing a costume?"  
"Just keep up with that for now Kari. You'll understand later." Kylee said.  
"Alright mom! We're ready to go!" Kylee then shouted to her mom, from the bedroom.  
"Okay! I'll get the car ready!" her mom replied back.  
"What's that about?" Regan asked suspiciously.  
"You'll see guys! Just be patient!" Kylee replied as she, Impmon, Riza and Veemon left the bedroom and started going outside.  
Unsure, the two Digidestineds and their digimon looked at each other.  
"We follow them?" Gatomon asked.  
"Well, I don't think we go lots of choices…" Kari said.  
"Besides, I'm curious what they have in store for us…They obviously wouldn't want to harm us in any way. I trust them enough for that…" Lizomon said.  
"Yeah…I really, really wonder what's their surprise, and why you had to be dressed as…'yourself'" Regan said to Kari.  
"Yeah…but I think, just in case, I should use a false family name. They've been calling me Kari, so I got to use something else than Kamiya…  
I think I'll use…Miyaka…" Kari then said.  
"Miyaka?" Regan asked. "Well…that's a slightly odd choice…considering who's the guy with that name…but we can go with that…"  
The others nodded before they finally went outside. Kylee was sitting up at the front with her mom, Impmon on her lap while Riza was in the back seat with Veemon on him.  
"Come on in!" Riza said.  
Regan opened the door then looked at Kari with a slightly wry grin. "Ladies first?" he asked jokingly.  
Kari rolled her eyes at this and giggled lightly. "Nah. You can go in first. I don't think I want to be between you two." She replied with a wry smile of her own.  
Shrugging with a smile, Regan went in first with Lizomon before Kari entered the car with Gatomon and closed the door.

Seconds later, they were gone to whatever place Kylee and Riza wanted to bring them too…  
And what was in store for them was the only thing on the Digidestineds' minds at the moment…

---

Things seemed to go well for now, for the Tamers and their plans, from what Krasus could observe.  
But for now, nothing odd had happened. At least, odd in the criteria of the gray cloaked elder.  
Still, his attention was not unwavered…

---

The Digidestineds and the Tamers talked a bit during the trip to wherever Kylee and Riza wanted to go with the Digidestineds. But, it was obvious that despite the talk, neither Regan, nor Kari, or their digimon were distracted from what the Tamers could have in store for them…

Lizomon was keeping a close view at whatever was outside the window, obviously seeking to know where they were going.  
"Hey, is this the place where we're going?" Lizomon then asked, pointing at something outside. The others (except Kylee's mother) all looked at where Lizomon pointed: A large building where many people could be seen at the entrance. They were too far from it to distinguish peoples' appearance right now…

"Yup! It's there." Kylee answered.  
Kari looked a bit worried toward the building in question, and the many peoples around it…

What did Kylee and Riza had planned for them? They weren't going to reveal the truth about her to dozens of persons, would they?

Kylee's mother stopped the car in the building's parking before letting everyone out.  
"I'll get back to take you when you're over, okay?" she asked.  
"Thanks mom." Kylee replied as the Tamers and the Digidestineds had left the car.  
With that, Kylee's mother drove away, leaving the teenagers and their digimon there.  
"So…what is it?" Regan asked grimly.  
"Come on guys, don't make too much about it." Riza said.  
"Well, I'd think that if you were in our position, you'd probably be thinking that…" Lizomon replied.  
"Yeah, sorry about that…" Kylee said, rubbing the back of her head hesitantly. "But you'll know soon. Come on."  
She started leading them on, as the others followed behind.  
As the neared the building's entrance, Kari was feeling more worried, considering that right now, she had every chance of being mistaken for 'herself' as the 'cartoon character' that she supposedly is in this world…

But as they neared the building's entrance, Kari, and surely the others, could notice some nearby persons all talking with interest…

What actually was stranger…was that some of them…

Looked like other of her fellow Digidestineds friends…

She saw a boy that was dressed like her brother, back in the first time they had went into the Digital World. He had, in a way, everything of the appearance, save for a less 'imposing' hairstyle as her brother's.

Around, she also noticed other people that were dressed like other characters, like TK, or Davis, or even Ken, either as the Digimon Kaiser or after that time…  
And some times, she had to look twice to notice that in some cases, some of those male characters were actually girls dressed like the boys from the 'show'.  
And from the look of surprise in Regan's, Gatomon's and Lizomon's, they too had noticed the many people.  
"Kylee, what's all of this?" Kari asked, a bit unsure.

"Well, an anime convention of course!!!" Kylee answered, turning to the two Digidestineds with a wide smile. "Well! What do you think of that?" she said.  
"Anime convention?" Regan asked.  
"Yup!" Riza replied. "A big event where lots of anime fans are coming up and meet many persons, like anime voice actors, and other stuffs. Of course, there are always cosplayers around, as you noticed."

"So…that explains why you wanted Kari to come as herself…" Lizomon said.  
"Hey, Riza and I thought she really had to see this. There's still many digimon fans, as you saw. Easy after all, considering that Digimon Tamers tournaments are still a lot popular." Kylee added.  
"So Kari, not too disappointed? Are you interested?" she asked again.  
Kari pondered briefly, and a small interested expression came up on her face. "I think it's worth a look…" she said.

---

If outside was already impressive, the building's inside was even more so to the Digidestineds.  
"It's actually the city's battle arenas for the official Digimon Tamers Tournaments there is sometimes." Kylee explained. "The building's a lot big, so it's ideal for the convention, as you see."  
Kari remained silent, watching around at the many apparent digimon fans. She did look surprised to a point. What drew her attention the most was that there were some people that were cosplaying as herself.

"So guys, isn't it too bad?" Kylee asked.  
"Well…" Kari started.  
"I'd like to ask something Kylee. Is the arena still in function despite the convention?" Lizomon interrupted.  
"Uh, why are you asking that?" Riza asked.  
"Because Lizomon and I are hearing battle sounds and cheering coming out a good while from that way…" Gatomon answered, pointing her right paw toward a wall that was a good distance from them.  
"Uh…yeah, you 'guessed' that right…" Kylee said with a sweat.  
"I don't know…but could we check it out?" Regan asked.  
"Hey, that'd be a good idea Kylee!" Impmon said. "Besides, since we're the champions, we're probably gonna get challenged!" Impmon said with a grin.  
"I think I'd be fine with it…" Kari said. "I don't mind that you guys go for that."  
"Kari, don't talk as if you'll be left behind. You're coming up too!" Regan said.  
"Oh, sorry…" she replied.  
"Well, okay then!" Kylee said. "I'm fine with that too! So, we're going?"  
"I wonder if I should try to challenge you Kylee…" Riza said.  
"You could do it anytime!" Kylee replied with a teasing wink.  
While it made Riza a bit uncomfortable, both Digidestineds either giggled or chuckled at that reaction, which only made Riza yell out at the two for mocking themselves…

---

So far, nothing.  
Krasus' observations had brought nothing as a result. But the elder wizard would not be deterred so easily. Years of experiences told him otherwise…

That the situation would go differently sooner or later…

---

The Tamers led the Digidestineds to the arena they had mentioned, although there had been a few stops on the way, like other Digimon fans having interest in Kari as the character, a TK and a Davis wanting to rehearse some lines of the show. Surprisingly, Kari actually accepted before all three acted out the said scenes, like when Kari said that Davis was so insensitive (which made Regan, Kylee and Riza remember about the said episode 'Big Troubles in little Edo') and Davis 'ridiculously' replied he's so sensitive that he's using a special toothpaste so that his tooth wouldn't hurt when he's eating ice cream.

Although that made Regan and the others chuckle, Kari burst out in laugher, which surprised Regan, Lizomon and Gatomon a bit, though the two cosplayers clearly looked pleased, considering that normally, in the show, Kari had replied out to Davis' sentence with a laugh.  
After a few other re-acting with the cosplayers, though the others didn't brought out a big laugh from Kari (though it usually brought up a smile on her face), the Tamers and the Digidestineds finally went on their way to the inside arena.  
Kari's smile had rather mainly faded, though she still had a small one, although with some little regret and sadness.

"Hey…what's wrong?" Regan asked, putting a hand on Kari's shoulder as they followed Kylee and Riza.  
"Oh well…nothing too serious…  
Just remembering…and thinking…" Kari replied.  
"Some good things I hope…" Regan said.  
"Mainly…" Kari replied, the small smile coming up. "But also about how those kids and teens around us are thinking about the show…They're clearly more fans of it than I admitted…"  
"Guess they aren't only _that_ interested in trying to know every thoughts of the 'animated characters'…" Lizomon said with a little smirk.  
"I hope so!" Gatomon said looking rather offended.  
"I know…" Kari said with the smile, looking at the backs of Kylee and Riza. "Oh, I know…"

---

Although they did arrive at the arena, no one of them could get a place to fight right now. The only thing the Digidestineds and the Tamers could do for now was to watch the current fight.

The two Digidestineds looked around themselves in the stands as they followed the two Tamers as they took up seats closest to the arena itself.

Although Kylee had explained that the arena's settings could be changed, right now, it was a plain stadium floor.

As they all sat, Regan could take more interest in the current fighters.  
It was an Agumon and a Patamon that were fighting.

From what Regan managed to see, the Patamon's owner, which was on the side away from them, was another TK cosplayer.  
As for his opponent, Regan couldn't see much of him (since the boy was having his back turned to them), but he had some spiky brown hairs and was wearing a light green shirt with pale blue jeans and yellow and white shoes. He also wore light brown short fingerless gloves.

"The Agumon's doing pretty good…" Lizomon commented as he examined the fight with clear expertise.

"Duck now Agumon!" the boy said. Regan frowned slightly when he heard the boy's voice. It sounded a lot familiar…And all his friends had clearly noticed the similarity as well…  
"Kari?!?" a young girl's voice asked to their side with surprise and curiosity. The Tamers and the Digidestineds (along with their digimon) all turned to look at their left.  
And sitting to their side was indeed a younger girl that looked very familiar to Kari…  
And she also wore the same outfit than what Kari herself once had when she first went to the Digital World. She looked a lot like Kari herself from back then, aside from the shorter hair bang, and the blue eyes…

"Catherine?!?" she said, recognizing the girl despite her different look. "Catherine! Nice to see you!" Kari said happily. "You recognize me, don't you?" she asked with a smile.  
"Yeah of course!" Catherine replied with a giggle and a smile. "You look great as Kari from the show! You're just like her!" the little girl said.  
"And you really don't look bad either as a 'younger me'." Kari replied with a giggle, which made Catherine giggle as well.  
"Hum Kari…who's is she? A friend of yours?" Kylee asked a little bit confused.  
Catherine gasped as she eyed Kylee. "You're Kylee Henke!" she said.  
"Hehe…yup! The best City Tamer!" Kylee said with a smile.  
"Ya better don't forget me!" Impmon replied, jumping strait on Kylee to show his presence.  
Catherine giggles again. "Yeah of course! You're her cute Impmon that she likes to hug!" she replied with another smile.

Impmon stopped 'posing' and literally froze…now blushing and looking more hesitant.  
At that moment, Lizomon was really fighting hard to hold out an obvious laugh, and Regan too was straining not to laugh while Kari was trying not to giggle. Gatomon on the other hand simply looked at Impmon with a sly smile. As for Riza (especially Riza) and Veemon, they looked at Impmon with some mockery.  
"Gaaah!!! Kylee! Look what you've done to my reputation!!!" Impmon said angrily to his Tamer, storming in anger.  
Kylee chuckled hesitantly as she sweated. "Hehehe…I just love to hug you when we win?" she said.  
"Hey, you better not forget me as well." Riza interrupted. "I'm the second best after all."  
"Oh yeah. You're Kylee's short friend." Catherine said with another pleased expression.

Now it was Riza's turn to be ready to bust a vein while Impmon looked at Riza with clear mockery. Veemon only had a really worried expression, and unfortunately, the Digidestineds and their digimon did nothing good as well as they only struggle not to laugh or chuckle, except Gatomon that rather kept an amused expression and was smiling.

"Gah! I'm not short!!!" Riza said very angrily. Regan rose behind him…now obviously showing the size difference between the two.  
"Hem…Can't really say that Riza…" Regan said with a sweat…as he looked _down_ on Riza.  
"Just stop enough already!" Riza replied angrily at Regan, clearly having busted a vein.  
"Is there something wrong Catherine?" another voice asked, which made Riza stop his outbursts as they looked toward Catherine, where another person had talked…

Or rather, had come up on her lap.

Looking rather like a yellow blob with a cat-like mouth and two large red eyes along with cat-like ears and yellow cat tail with some purple stripes…A Nyaromon, Gatomon's In-Training form.

"No, it's all right Nyaromon." Catherine said with a smile to the digimon.  
"You managed to get a digimon?" Kari asked to Catherine.  
"Yup!" Catherine said with a wide and happy smile.

"Hey look!" Gatomon said, pointing at the arena. All the others turned to see Patamon having evaded a Pepper Breath attack from the Agumon, only to be struck down by a punch from the dinosaur digimon, and knocked out.

"Yay! He won!" Catherine said happily, jumping from her seat, still holding Nyaromon. "You did it brother!"

"Brother?" Kari asked. "The Agumon's Tamer's your brother?"  
"Yup!" Catherine answered.

They watched the Agumon returned to his Tamer as the crowd cheered on and the commentator pronounced the teen's victory.  
Then he turned back and went toward the stairs leading to the stands, to obviously go meet back with his younger sister with his digimon.

And as he neared, all the Tamers and the Digidestineds' look turned a bit surprised.

Although he clearly did not have as much spiky hairs as Regan, he had a ponytail and blue eyes…but his face…  
They all recognized it, even if it had some differences…  
It was a lot similar to Regan's…

"Is there something wrong?" the boy asked with a voice that indeed sounded a lot like Regan's. He looked curiously at Regan. "Geez, we're nearly like twins." He said with a chuckle.  
Regan chuckled hesitantly "Yeah…never thought that too…" he replied. The others stopped tensing a bit. "I'm Regan Astrasz. What's your name?" Regan asked to the other 'him'.  
"I'm Reynold Estar." The boy replied. "And I see that you've met my sister." He added.  
Regan looked at Catherine, who looked a bit surprised about how Regan and her older brother actually looked a bit similar.  
Thinking about the fact that the little girl was possibly the 'Kari of this world', it should make sense that there's also 'another Regan'…At least that's what Regan thought about this.

"Hey! You're Kylee Henke!" Reynold said as he looked at Kylee.  
"Hehe, yup. I'm the champion Tamer." Kylee said with a smile.  
"And this is Kari." Catherine said to her brother, pointing at Kari herself.  
Looking at her, Reynold's eyes widened a bit in surprise, obviously amazed of someone that looked so alike Kari Kamiya from the 'show'…  
"Man…I gotta say, you're making the most realistic Kari Kamiya I've ever seen!" Reynold said to Kari. "Geez, you look as if you _are_ Kari Kamiya!"  
"Well, thank you…" Kari said with a little smile, holding an arm behind her.  
"I think you've got a rival…" Lizomon whispered to Regan, who shot a glare at him  
To be honest though, Regan was a bit annoyed and interested by the presence of their 'counterparts' here…But honestly, he also wanted that the conversation turned a bit away from Kari…But for that…Wait…

"Hey Kylee. You're the reigning champion of course, right?" Regan suddenly asked, interrupting everyone.  
"Well, you should know that well Regan. What about it?" Kylee asked.  
"Well, you said you wanted to get some challenges, right?" Regan said, a small sly grin coming on his face.  
"Don't tell me…You?" Kylee asked with a slight frown.  
"What's wrong? Scared?" Lizomon suddenly said, hovering above his partner, seemingly echoing him.  
"Of course not!" Kylee said, annoyed. She pondered about this for a moment. "Fine…You want a match Regan? You'll get one." She replied, slightly annoyed.  
She really wondered why he suddenly challenged her. Besides, couldn't they get a rest from all the fighting action they had recently?  
"Come on then Regan." Kylee said, rising from her seat and leaving, followed by Impmon. Regan and Lizomon soon went after her.  
"Well, guess I'll take a fighting break now." Reynold said, taking Kylee's seat. "By the way, I've never seen that boy's digimon before. He's a new one?"  
"Well…you could say that…" Kari answered after pondering the question for a little while. "But he's a lot strong."

A little while after, the announcer spoke again.

"Ladies and gentlemen! We are pleased to announce the presence of the great champion of Phoenix City, Kylee Henke!"

Kari noticed lot of people cheering on around, Riza also adding up to them.

"She has accepted a non-official challenge from a newcomer, which clearly look full of promises…Ladies and Gentlemen, please give out a warm welcome to our two next fighters…

Kylee Henke and Regan Astrasz!"

As the two 'Tamers' stepped in the arena, along with their digimon, the crowd cheered even more loudly, and this time, Kari joined on.

Regan and Kylee stepped up to each other before they shook hands.  
"May the best win, Kylee." Regan said with a determined smile at Kylee.  
"We'll see who's gonna win Regan…" She replied with a smile of her own.  
Then both walked away, going up to their digimon.

"Alright…Get Set…Ready…Go!"

Both digimon rocketed from their starting positions before going strait for their opponent.

"Here I come!!!" both Lizomon and Impmon yelled at each other.  
As they neared, both threw out a punch before striking each other, and blocking each other with the attack. As Impmon simply went forward from the momentum, Lizomon spun upward before landing further away.  
Both turned to face each other again, and charged once more.  
However, at mid-distance, Lizomon changed course, going sideways and around Impmon. Energy glowing in his mouth, he also opened it, yelling out "Strato Ball!" as he spew out a multi-colored energy ball toward Impmon.  
"Roll Impmon!" Kylee ordered. Impmon quickly threw himself forward and rolled on the floor, dodging the coming energy ball. Lizomon went strait for Impmon.  
"Stand ready Lizomon!" Regan shouted.  
Impmon quickly stood up again before turning to face toward the incoming Lizomon. Despite that he clearly expected Lizomon to evade the attack, Impmon did it nonetheless. Snapping his fingers together, Impmon created out a fire ball before throwing it at Lizomon, yelled out "Badaboom!" as he did.  
And indeed, Lizomon leapt above the fire ball before letting himself drop some feet until he started flying again, but now circling around Impmon.  
Lizomon simply grinned as Impmon kept him constantly in his sights…  
Then, Lizomon struck. He dove forward, strait at his target, claws bearing. Impmon stood his ground until the last moment and evaded Lizomon's claws and punches as he slammed the ground on all four, but quickly bounced from the ground, throwing himself at Impmon. However, as he neared, Impmon quickly jumped forward Lizomon…but also a bit sideway. Sparks on his gloves, he threw out another "Badaboom!" at Lizomon, who this time, was struck by the attack.  
Yet, just as the flames (and the crowd cheered) exploded on Lizomon, Impmon was flung backward, as if struck by a strong force. He fell on the ground, just as Lizomon was also sent down. Both started to recover from their wounds, Impmon shaking his head. "What the heck did you do? You didn't even touch me!" he said.  
"No…But my wings' air shockwaves did…" Lizomon said with a sly grin. "I slammed my wings together strong enough so that I sent an air shockwave at you with 'Hard Wings' Remember that one?" Lizomon said with a little grin. "Oh, yeah…I remember…" Impmon said.

Despite the crowd cheering on, neither did the attention of Kylee and Impmon, nor the one of Regan and Lizomon shifted to anything else other than the battle.

Lizomon readied himself before charging at Impmon once again. Impmon prepared himself as Lizomon neared.

But as the dragon digimon approached, his eyes suddenly widened in surprise, and he pulled back.

A giant blast of smoke suddenly exploded right in the midst of the arena, hiding out of view the fighters…  
And the ground started shaking madly before giant cracks opened in the ground of the arena, spreading outward and toward the stands.  
Panic spread everywhere among the spectators, many rose up of their seats, running away in panic.

Surprise also got to Kari, Riza, Gatomon, Veemon and those nearby them. As the panic spread and the flood of people started to overwhelm them, Kari was quickly to grab unto Riza's arm.  
"Come on!" she said. "We gotta get to Regan and Kylee!" she said.  
Barely nodding as he also held on Veemon, Riza 'unwillingly' followed Kari as she struggled against the wave of people, Gatomon clutched on her.

And when they finally managed to get down in the arena, the smoke had barely started to fade. And still no signs of the others…

---

In the smoke, Regan covered his face with his arm and his hood. He was completely unsure what the hell had just happened. He needed to find out.

"Lizomon!" he yelled. "Try to get that smoke away!"  
"Hard Wings!" was the answer Regan heard right after he yelled.

Lizomon slammed his wings together once more, creating a powerful air shockwave that pushed the dust and smoke of the sudden blast away, in a good part.  
At least now it allowed Regan to see most of what was happening.

He then noticed Kari, Riza and their digimon running toward him, Kari obviously being more relieved of seeing him.  
However, this wasn't the only problem right now…  
"Regan! Hurry here, quick!" Lizomon yelled from a bit deeper in the smoke's remains. Regan didn't wasted time running toward Lizomon before hearing "Help!!!" …and it was Kylee's voice.  
As he neared, Regan saw that a huge crack in the ground had opened, and Kylee would have completely fell in it, if not for Impmon and Lizomon who were currently holding one of her arms to try to pull her back.  
Regan soon came up to the edge, and as he saw Kylee's panicked face, he also saw something else that made his eyes widen.  
"Regan! Let's deal with getting Kylee out of there first!" Lizomon suddenly yelled. He probably guessed that Regan had been distracted by 'that'…

"Give me your hand Kylee!" Regan said to Kylee. "Hurry!"  
In desperation, Kylee threw her ungrabbed arm toward Regan, but sadly missed grasping on his hand.  
"Try again!" Regan insisted.  
"I…I can't!" she replied.  
"Try it!!!" Regan insisted more. He quickly turned toward Riza and Kari. "Come over here, now! Kylee needs help now!"  
He focused his attention back on Kylee, as she made another attempt to allow Regan to grab her hand, but to no avail.  
"She musn't look down…she musn't look down…" was one of the things Regan was thinking about.  
"Hold on Kylee! We're gonna help!" Riza said as he neared the hole, but when he gazed down in it, he gasped, along with Veemon, Gatomon and Kari when they saw what it was too.  
"No time for that! We got to get her out now!" Impmon said.  
Riza nodded before he quickly grabbed on the arm Lizomon and Impmon were currently holding.  
"Lizomon! Can't you try to push her from below?" Regan asked to his partner.  
Knowing in good part what Regan meant, Lizomon nodded. "I'll try." He answered before leaping in the hole, but quickly opened his wings and hovered behind Kylee then grabbed her by the waist, trying to aid in pulling her up.  
"Come on now Kylee!" Regan said.  
Unsure and panicked, Kylee once again flung her arm toward Regan…and this time he caught her hand. "Gotcha!" he said. "Now let's get her out of here, now!"  
Kari soon kneeled to the edge and grabbed on the Kylee's arm that Regan held, helping out as they finally managed to pull Kylee out of the hole, all stumbling backward on the ground as she finally was pulled up to safety.

"Man…Lucky she didn't fell in that thing…" Lizomon said. The others looked at him with worried and understanding looks. However, unsure, Kylee turned back to the edge…and looked down before gasping too…

The hole seemed to lead out…_elsewhere_.  
But it was constantly fluctuating…as bits of data were seen floating in 'it'…  
"W-W-What the heck is that?!?!?" Kylee said, flinging herself backward.  
"I think it could lead out to the Digital World…but I'm not sure…" Lizomon answered darkly. "Whatever it is, it's probably not good."

Then Regan's digivice started beeping before a familiar voice was heard coming out of it…

"_Regan? Do you hear me?"_ It was Krasus(or the 'Elder')  
"Yeah. We hear you Elder. Listen, we got some big-" Regan started…  
"_I already know. Are you inside the building right now?"_ Krasus interrupted.  
"Yes." Regan answered.  
"_You should go see what is happening outside. And hurry."_ the Elder's voice said.  
"Well…let's go whatever he wants us to see…" Lizomon said.

---

Minutes later, the group arrived at the main entrance of the building. And clearly saw something they did not expected…

Multiple dark forms were seen moving all around in the distance…and the faint glint of some dark force field covering the entire building and some areas around it were visible…

But perhaps what made it even more troubling was one thing that was visible from the group's point of view…At one edge of the dark shield, there was…  
A tower. It seemed like a tower at first, but a second glance could identify it as some sort of tall obelisk…which was completely dark…

Lizomon's eyes narrowed as he eyed the obelisk in the distance. "I really don't like the feel coming out of that thing…And it's really familiar to me…" he said.  
"No…" Kari said, sounding worried…and afraid. "Gatomon…it can't be…"  
"Yeah…" Gatomon answered darkly, and worried as well.

"It's a Control Spire…" the cat digimon said.  
"What?!? A Dark Obelisk?" Lizomon asked, clearly caught off-guard.  
"Huh? No, I said Control Spire." Gatomon replied.  
"Oh yeah…forgot that's the way you've been calling them…  
But honestly, I remember when last I saw them…  
Remember the war I spoke about? Well, those Control Spires were also used back then. We called them the Dark Obelisks. They were transmitters of our enemies' dark power over their digimon servants. It had the nasty effect on interferring on most digimons' digivolution as well…except the Ancient Guardians, and those using that special digivolution…" Lizomon explained.  
"You mean…the Armor Digivolution…" Kari said, adding up to what Lizomon meant, and surprised about hearing that the idea of the Control Spires actually originated from a farther past than anyone might have expected…

"But…how's a Control Spire's here?!?" Riza said.  
"_I have not discovered how yet. However, there are four Control Spires surrounding the convention building and the surrounding areas. They are no doubt the source of the dark shield that is trapping everyone inside, and no doubt it also generates the dark creatures that are starting to appear.  
Also, I believe that they are the cause of the rift in reality that has opened inside the building."_ The 'Elder''s voice answered, coming out of Regan's digivice.  
"Then we have to take those spires down!" Regan answered.  
"_Indeed. You four may be the only ones to do so. After all, all four of your digimon is capable of armor digivolving."_ The Elder's voice added up.  
"Right." Kari said. "Should we separate and each of us go for one Control Spire each?"  
"Well…I don't see why we should…" Kylee answered with a worried shrug.  
"Okay…But guys, each of you, be careful." Kari said.  
"_One last thing. You can use digivices to communicate to each other. Do not forget that detail. Warn the others if you may need help or report a situation."_ The Elder warned out.  
"Thanks for that Elder. We won't forget." Regan said.

"Alright then. Let's do it." Kylee said, having taken a card Riza handed to her. And both Tamers readied their digivices

"Digi-Modify! Digi-Egg of Friendship, activate!"  
"Digi-Modify! Digi-Egg of Courage, activate!"

"_Impmon, armor digivolve to…Thunderbirdmon, Friendship's Stormy Wings!!!"  
"Veemon, armor digivolve to…Flamedramon, the Fire of Courage!!!"_

"'Friendship's Stormy Wings'?" Kari asked as she eyed Thunderbirdmon who stood aside Kylee. "That's a bit weird for a title…"  
"Hey! Stop commenting about that on my title, kay?" Thunderbirdmon replied angrily at Kari and the others.

Lizomon briefly chuckled before his expression hardened. "Anyway…  
Regan, Kari. Let's do it, Digidestined style!" he replied.

Regan nodded while Kari looked at Gatomon who nodded as well.

"Digi-Armor Energize!!!" both Digidestined shouted.

"_Gatomon…"  
"Lizomon…"_

"_**armor digivolve to…"**___

"Nefertimon, the Angel of Light!!!"  
"Dracomon, the Strength of Life!!!"

The two armor digimon stood aside their own partners, Dracomon bearing his black armor while Nefertimon bearing her gray plate and Egyptian cat mask.  
"Alright guys, let's do it." Regan said. He then looked toward his digivice. "Elder, where are the Control Spires?"

A small beam of light came out of his digivice before focusing in front of everyone, creating a small holographic map with four dark towers visible on it. "_Here are their locations. Good luck."_ The Elder replied.

"Okay. I'll take the closet one, south of us" Riza said.  
"I'll deal with the farthest one that is north." Regan replied.  
"East one is mine and Thunderbirdmon's." Kylee added.  
"Okay. I'll take the west one." Kari finished.

With that, Regan, Kari and Kylee climbed on their digimon before they all flew away in different directions while Riza started running away, Flamedramon in tow.  
Of course, their departs did not go unnoticed by some panicked people…

---

The die was cast.  
It was easy for Krasus to envision the current events as something else…  
A game of chess…In which the Digidestineds and Tamers are his pieces, and the Control Spires along with the dark manifestation that came along being those of his unseen adversary.  
Sadly, it always seemed to come to such kind of thing…  
He, being an unseen force that pulls the strings on others…

---

Arriving at the south Control Spire, Riza noticed some Tamers and other people nearby, but he couldn't let them being too much at risk. As he and Flamedramon neared, some dark flames appeared out around the large black obelisk

"Come on Flamedramon! Take them out!" Riza said.  
"Flame Fist!" With a strong punch, Flamedramon threw a volley of fire balls toward the growing flames, breaking down most of them apart.  
"What now Riza?" Flamedramon asked as he saw new packs of dark flames slowly forming into figures.  
"Get that Control Spire down now!" Riza replied.  
"All right! Fire Rocket!" Flamedramon yelled as he burst in flames and charged strait toward the Control Spire before crashing right into the middle of it, breaking the spire in two before it completely shattered and burst into data, causing the dark flames to disperse immediately.  
"All right! Good work Flamedramon!" Riza said.  
"What now Riza?" Flamedramon asked as he came back to his partner.  
"Mmm…I think we should go back to the convention center. The others may go back there too." Riza replied.  
"Got it."

---

It didn't took long for Regan and Dracomon to get to the farthest Control Spire, the north one, however, as they neared, both noticed multiple dark flaming forms waiting for them.  
"Regan! We got some company!" Dracomon warned out.

Multiple blasts of flames were then propelled from the figures on the ground.  
"Life Shield!" Dracomon shouted, stopping himself in mid-air before the gem on his forehead glowed, creating a large white shield around himself, blocking the flames attacks.

"Regan! You should try to get off me so I can more faster on them!" Dracomon shouted to Regan.  
"Right!" Regan replied. He looked at the nearest building. "Get me there!"

Dracomon nodded before cancelling his shield, going strait for the building's top, passing overhead close to it as Regan jumped and landed on the building.  
With that, Dracomon rushed strait for the Control Spire before rearing his head high and threw it down, aiming at the spire as he yelled "Living Flame Blast!"  
A torrent of crimson and golden flames rushed out of his maw, increasing in size as it completely engulfed the Control Spire, burning the spire to nothingness.

And with that, Dracomon noticed that the dark flaming creatures were gone. He quickly flew back to Regan. "I don't think it's over Regan." The armor digimon said.  
"Yeah." Regan replied. "Let's go back to the convention center." And he climbed back on Dracomon before the digimon flew back toward the center.

---

"Alright Thunderbirdmon! Here it is!" Kylee shouted, pointing at the tower. She noticed other Tamers that were 'occupying' some dark flaming creatures that surrounded the tower. "Let's take it down!"  
"Thunder Stormer!" Thunderbirdmon yelled, flapping his wings before unleashing a a stream of lightning from his wings, which spread to the Control Spire, shocking it before it dissipated into data.  
"Geez, way too easy!" Thunderbirdmon said with a smirk.  
"No…it can't be just that simple…" Kylee said, sounding serious and worried.  
"Eh? What do you mean Kylee?" the digimon asked.  
"Let's go back to the center Thunderbirdmon. I don't think it can be that simple…" Kylee said.  
Unsure, Thunderbirdmon nodded before flying back…

---

"Here's the Control Spire Kari!" Nefertimon said.  
Kari simply nodded, unsure. "Why would there be Control Spires here?" she muttered.  
"I don't know Kari, but we should take them out now before it causes too much problem." Nefertimon replied.  
"Nefertimon, look!" Kari suddenly said, sounding panicked as she pointed earthward.  
She noticed some people that were trying to defend badly against some strange flame beasts that seemed to be created by the spires.  
And she recognized Reynold and Catherine that were attacked.  
"Help them now!" Kari said.  
"Queen's Paw!" Nefertimon shouted, her metallic bands on her forepaws glowing before they shot series of gems toward the flaming beasts.  
And she struck them head on, destroying them all.  
"Huh?" Reynold and Catherin turned backward and upward to see who had just saved them. And Catherine gasped and smiled as she saw who it was.  
"Kari!" she said happily, and waved at her, still holding her digimon.  
Kari replied with a satisfied nod before focusing her attention back on the spire, her expression becoming serious. "Finish it Nefertimon." She said.  
"Rosetta Stone!" Nefertimon shouted before a large pink beam erupted from her back, and from the beam shot out a large stone tablet written with ancient language. The tablet went strait for the spire, striking it dead center, causing it to collapse and burst in data.  
"Thanks a lot!" Reynold said as Kari and Nefertimon lowered down to the pair.  
"Wow! I never thought you could do an Armor Digivolution on your digimon! It makes you look even more like Kari from the show!" Catherine said with excitement.  
Kari nodded with a slight smile. "Glad to see you two are all right. Sorry, but I'll have to go." She said.  
"Is it about that Control Spire?" Reynold asked.  
"Yeah, I think so. I'll have to go back to the convention center. I'm just glad you two are all right. Take care now." Kari said before she looked at Nefertimon and nodded. The digimon replied by taking to the air again before flying back toward the convention center.

---

So far so good…  
But still, Krasus doubted it would end so easily…  
And as he casted his unearthly senses toward the convention center, he knew he was right…

---

A few moments later, as Riza waited at the entrance of the convention center, he noticed familiar flying figure approaching…  
"Hey guys!" Riza said, waving at them as Kylee, Kari and Regan landed before their digimon de-digivolved back to their rookie forms. "Nice to see you thought like me."  
"Yeah." Regan replied. "Surely with simply destroying those Control Spires it just can't be enough."  
"It isn't." Kari replied, looking at the sky. "That shield is still there."  
The others looked upward to see that the dark shield that imprisoned the area around the convention center was still there.  
"_Digidestineds, can you hear me?"_ the voice of Krasus came once more from Regan's X-D3.  
"Yeah we hear you clear Elder. Did you discovered what is still wrong?" Regan asked.  
"_Yes. The rip in reality that is inside the convention center isn't gone. I think something is maintaining it. You should go see there at once."_  
"Yeah, yeah…I think we get it…" Regan replied, sounding slightly annoyed about something. "Anyway, let's go guys." He said to the others.  
And they all went back inside the convention center.

---

As they all entered the arena once more, the Tamers, Digidestined and their digimon noticed that the rip in the ground had not faded at all, and it had grown.  
"What's wrong with this thing?" Kylee asked. "Why isn't it gone yet?"  
The ground started shaking before a beam shot out of the ground. It started expanding slowly before a form slowly coalesced into it before it jumped out of the beam and landed in front of the kids and their digimon.  
It was rather yellow in appearance, and its appearance also reminded of an insect. However, he had a large drill as a 'nose', and two drills at the end of its arms. Purple symbols were also visible on its body.

"A Digmon…" Lizomon said. "But he clearly isn't normal…"  
True, for there was a dark aura that surrounded the digimon, and its eyes were completely red.

"Another armor digimon?" Riza said. "Well, we'll just have to armor digivolve again."  
"_Wait. The aura that surrounds this digimon is in fact a shield…Strangely enough, it is a shield that makes this Digmon completely immune to the attacks of other armor digimon. You will need to digivolve to champion to defeat it."_ The 'Elder''s voice suddenly came out of Regan's digivice once more.  
"Champion? Fine then." Regan replied. "You heard him Lizomon, digivolve!"  
"Right!" Lizomon replied with a nod before he started glowing.

"_Lizomon, digivolve to…Ryumon!!!"_

And where Lizomon was, now stood his champion form, a darker crimson dragon, Ryumon.  
Gatomon stepped forward, ready to fight, considering that she's a natural champion digimon.  
"All right Veemon, you're ready for this?" Riza asked, taking out his new Digivolution card.  
"Yeah! Let's go!" Veemon replied, sounding excited.  
"Digi-Modify! Digivolution, activate!"  
"_Veemon, digivolve to…ExVeemon!"_

As the light faded from Veemon, everyone could see him in his champion form, the one of a tall blue dragon digimon standing on two legs, its belly white with an 'X' like symbol marked on it, and had white wings and a blade-like horn for the nose.

"Come on Kylee! Do it too!" Riza said.  
Kylee stood her ground uncertainly, the Digivolution card in her hand. "I…I don't know…" she replied hesitantly.

"Gold Rush!" Digmon suddenly yelled before aiming his drills toward everyone and shot them. However, Ryumon raised his wings high before they charged with electricity as he yelled "Thunder Wings!" before swinging them forward, sending streams of electricity to form a shield that blocked Digmon's drills.

"What?!?" Impmon said looking completely confused at his Tamer. "What's wrong with it?"  
"Beelzemon…" Regan said silently. "That's why…" he added. "Because she's afraid that something like the time Impmon became Beelzemon could happen again…"  
"Kylee…" Riza said.  
"It's alright to be afraid Kylee…" Kari suddenly said, surprising the others. Kylee looked confusedly and uncertain at her. "What do you mean?"  
"My brother once made the mistake of forcing Agumon to digivolve, turning him into SkullGreymon, however, Agumon had been unable to digivolve until he and Tai managed to learn from their mistakes…but also by bringing back the trust and faith between each other…  
I don't think you should really be that scared Kylee. After all, you and Impmon trust each other really well, don't you?"

"Special package for you!" Ryumon suddenly yelled, diverting the kids' attention again. He had grabbed Gatomon(probably with her consent) and threw her with force toward Digmon. The armor digimon prepared to shoot at the cat; however Gatomon's eyes started glowing pink…  
"Cat's Eye Hypnotism!" Gatomon shouted before a flash of pink light erupted from her eyes, paralyzing Digmon in his tracks.  
"Strato Force!" Ryumon then shouted, shooting out one large multi-colored energy ball toward the paralyzed digimon who was struck and hurled backward in a powerful explosion.  
"Kylee, I know you can do it." Kari said, nodding at the Tamer.  
Regan also gave her out a confident gaze, Riza also doing the same when she looked his way. And she finally looked at Impmon, who looked strait at her with a determined look. "I won't fail you Kylee!" he said.  
Kylee clutched the card tighter. "And I know you won't…"

She raised the card high, along with her D-Arc.

"Digi-Modify! Digivolution, activate!" were her next words before she swiped the card in her digivice.

And Impmon was engulfed in a glow of light.

"_Impmon, digivolve to…Ignatismon!!!"_

And as the light faded, everyone around beheld, for the first time, Impmon's new Champion form…

He stood still on his two legs, however, his body was far taller, actually much more grown, as if he transformed from a little 'child' to an 'adult' version of himself. It was clear by his strong looks that he would be able to give out a hard fight to anyone trying to face him. He was still colored purple, although of a slightly darker shade, but gone was the yellow face on his belly. His tail was longer, but by the smooth movement of it, it was clearly prehensile. His ears had clearly changed, for they looked more like horns that pointed backward, however they broke at the middle, giving the horns a more lightning style shape.

He was wearing a long flaming stylized jacket on himself, which slightly showed his strong body. The bandanna around his neck had also lengthened more to a scarf, and instead of gloves, Ignatismon wore fingerless knuckles which were painted in a flaming style, which also revealed claws at the end of his hands. Claws were also visible on his five toed feet now. The same green that were Impmon's eyes were still visible in Ignatismon's slightly smaller and more sharper eyes of his more adult face. Face that had two fangs coming out of the mouth, longer than Impmon's.

Kari, Riza, Regan, and most of all, Kylee, all stared with amazement at the sight of the new champion digimon.

- Digimon Analyser -

Ignatismon : Virus Champion digimon. He's a demon that combines his powerful and fast fighting style with his flaming powers, resulting with many burns to his opponents

- End Digimon Analyser -

"Welcome to our world, kid." Ryumon said toward Ignatismon, with a clear grin.  
"Hey now Ryu, I ain't just a little kid anymore, so you better bring out more respect to me, ya hear me?" the new champion replied to Ryumon with a glare, showing up a right fist upon which flames burst, surrounding it.  
"You're still gonna be a kid to me, no matter what, Impmon, or Ignatismon. I'm more than 10,000 years ahead of you after all." The darker red dragon replied, still keeping his smile.

"Imp-Ignatismon…" Kylee started, looking at her newly transformed partner.  
"Huh? Kylee?" Ignatismon said, looking at her, with some slight uncertainties. "I hope I'm not too bad, right?"  
"You're awesome!!!!!" Kylee shouted then ran into him before she hugged him.  
"Hey! Cut that out now!" Ignatismon yelled, sounding very uncertain, considering he was also blushing.

"Kylee, when you're done stripping Ignatismon of his 'manliness', I think we should return our attention to our little problem with that powered Digmon." Ryumon spoke, looking toward the digimon who finally rose back up.

Gatomon came back to Ryumon's side, ready to fight once more.

"Alright guys, you're ready for this?" Riza asked to ExVeemon and Ignatismon.  
"Of course!" ExVeemon answered.  
"You bet'cha!" Ignatismon answered.

And both rushed to Ryumon and Gatomon's sides.

Digmon took position, waiting for his opponent to come…

"Okay guys…be careful now." Kari warned out.  
"It's time to show him what you can do…" Regan said.  
"So, give everything you've got!" Riza said.  
"And make sure he sees plenty of stars!" Kylee finished.

"So, go for it!" all four kids then yelled.

"Right!" all four digimon replied before they charged at once toward Digmon.

The armor digimon waited for them to come before raising his drills…then slammed them down in the earth as he yelled "Rock Cracker!" shattering the ground, creating a large spreading crack toward the digimon.  
Gatomon and Ignatismon quickly went sideways while Ryumon and ExVeemon went both to the air.

Both dragon digimon looked at each other before nodding…then aimed toward Digmon, Ryumon's maw charging with energy while ExVeemon crossed his arms on his chest and symbol.

"Strato Nova!"  
"X-Laser!"

Both attacks went strait down toward Digmon, who quickly moved sideways to dodge them.

However, just as he had started moving, a small white form quickly jumped in his vision, yelling "Lightning Punch!" and Digmon got struck strain in the face by Gatomon. As Digmon stumbled back, Gatomon quickly regained her balance on the ground before leaping again at Digmon, and shouted "Lightning Kick!" as she delivered a powerful kick strike in Digmon's face, sending him backward.

"Make sure he'll get everything Ignatismon!" Gatomon shouted.

Digmon barely registered that just as he got intercepted by another waiting digimon…  
"Heh…now it's my turn…and let's see what I'll do…" Ignatismon spoke from behind Digmon.

"Blaze Striker Punch!" he shouted, delivering a series of fast flaming punches at Digmon, who was completely caught helpless, harried.

Then Ignatismon quickly moved around and stopped in front of Digmon before he started spinning on himself at high speed, his flaming gauntlets in flames. "Spiral Flame Tornado!" he shouted, forming a tornado with his spin, and flame spread in it through his gauntlets.

And Digmon was caught in the tornado, struck several times by Ignatismon inside, burnt by the flames, before he was hurled upward in the air.

"Alright! Now it's time to finish this!" Ryumon said. "ExVeemon! Ignatismon! With me!"  
ExVeemon crossed his arms on his chest again as Ignatismon stopped spinning and held one hand behind him, tightened in a punch.

"Strato Nova!" Ryumon shouted, shooting out a ball of multi-colored energy from his maw.  
"X-Laser!" ExVeemon shouted as he shot his X-shaped beam from his torso symbol.

"Ignatis Flare!" Ignatismon yelled, throwing out his back punch forward, opening his hand as it completely burst in flames and one fiery ball was launched from it.

And as all three attacks collided with the Digmon, resulting in a massive explosion that completely covered the digimon, and when the explosion finally faded, there were no traces of Digmon…

And the rip in the ground had started vanishing slowly…until there were no traces of it anymore.

"Yeah! We did it!" Kylee said happily, the other joining her in her excitement before the digimon came, all de-digivolving(except Gatomon) back to Rookie.  
"Impmon! You were awesome!" Kylee said, hugging her digimon tightly.  
"Kylee!!!" Impmon yelled panicky as he was once again hugged, which caused the others to laugh.

---

As the four kids and their digimon started to leave the convention center, obviously tired of what had happened, they still talked a bit to each other.

"Uh oh…other problems ahead…" Lizomon interrupted as he motioned ahead of them.  
The others stopped to look ahead, which didn't make them looked pleased.

Many police officers and other persons were waiting for them. One stepped forward, coming to them.  
"Kylee Henke, Riza Ryuzaki, you and your friends are suspected of implication with unknown attacks here and around this center."  
"Are you insane?!?" Regan said angrily.  
"If it wasn't for us here today, then lots of people could have died! Give us more respect than that!" Lizomon added.

"Excuse me, mister the officer, but could I have a word with you please?" a new voice intruded, and a familiar one as well.  
Krasus stood some distance behind and away from the officer. Looking uncertain, the officer went to the tall cloaked man before both started to talk.  
"What are they saying?" Kylee asked.  
"I can't hear anything about it." Gatomon said. "He must have put some sort of sound shield around him and that police officer."  
"I find that a bit odd…" Lizomon said with a frown.

The officer was seen nodding to Krasus before he left him, and the cloaked wizard went to the Digidestined and Tamers. "The charges upon all of you have been lifted due to clear lack of proof and from other proof pertaining to your presence in helping the situation." The elder wizard spoke.

"Really? Thanks a lot Elder! I don't think we were really well to deal with that kind of thing for today." Riza said.  
"Indeed true." Krasus replied with a nod. "You can all go home. All of you truly deserve a rest now…"

All the kids nodded before they started walking away…  
Although when they walked past Krasus…  
The elder wizard took notice of Regan staring at him…before he continued on.

"Nice work with Ignatismon anyway Kylee!" he then said as he continued on with the others.  
"Oh really? Thanks a lot!"  
"Hey! Now perhaps I could beat Ryumon!" Impmon said, still in Kylee's arms.  
Lizomon burst out in laugher. "Hah! True, you got some good strength, but it won't be enough to beat me!" the dragon digimon replied with a laugh.  
And the conversation went on…

And while they talked, the elder wizard went inside the building…

---

Standing in the slightly ravaged arena where the children's battle had been, Krasus surveyed the place, with not only his eyes, but with other unique senses.  
And easily found the trace of what he was looking for.

"So it is true…The same force that created those spires and that rip here is the same…  
And it is the same one that has attacked me and those Tamers some time ago…  
And it is probable that it is the same dark force that has attacked the Digidestineds even further prior…" the elder wizard spoke to himself. "I will need to inform the others of this…  
Truly, something may seek the demise of the Digidestined…"

And with that said, the wizard vanished from the arena, returning to his little sanctum to make his 'report'…

There was still much to be done…


	11. Nightmares of a phantom

"_I mentioned earlier how much often we are scared of the unknown. That remains an undeniable fact. Of course, the unknown isn't the only thing mortals may be afraid of. There are things that they know or are aware deep in their selves that truly scare them.  
Things they would prefer not to reveal to others…"_

**Chapter 11 : Nightmares of a phantom**

"Yes, there clearly is little doubt in my mind concerning this. Undoubtedly an unknown force is attempting to cause the demise of the two Digidestined."

Krasus was once again within his underground hideout, sitting on the stone throne. In his right hand, held in front of himself, he was holding a blue sphere which was glowing of a faint light.

"_There are some forces we know that would be much desiring to destroy these two human children, yet as far as it would seem, none of them might truly be aware of their presence here…"_ the gentle female voice he had heard before replied from within the sphere.

"I agree on this. I had already considered many possibilities of who might be the responsible, but as for now, I have found nothing tangible." Krasus said his cloaked gaze fixed on the sphere.

"_You mustn't let your guard down. Whoever is behind this could target them at any moment. We have seen how it is capable of striking by reaching out to other dimensions. This means it has a large reach we must be wary of."_ the woman's voice spoke from the glowing orb, concern audible in her tone.

"Oh course…I shall be careful…For them…

And for you…" Krasus answered, his tone sounding a bit deeper than usual.

The ball slowly faded from his hand before he brought his hands together, resting his chin on his hands as he considered the information and events he had garnered about…

---

"Honestly, that's really all weird. I wonder what the hell it's all about. What are those creatures and are they really after us?"  
"Apparently…that's what Krasus is thinking…"

The two Digidestined, Kari and Regan had remained at their 'home' for the day, pondering and talking about the situation, along with their digimon. Krasus had just recently informed them of his thoughts on the subject, clearly informing them about 'something' or 'someone' that might be after them, but who or what it was, he hadn't found out yet. And apparently, according to the cloaked man, the creatures made of 'darkness' were part of that 'person''s work.

"Still, it doesn't make a sense. Most possible enemies we might have would be digimon, so why using those strange creatures?" Regan said.  
"There was some digimon that attacked us. And other things related to digimon. Remember that Digmon and those Control Spires." Kari said.  
"I know, I know…" Regan replied tiredly. "Still, it doesn't make any sense."  
"Do you think…it could be something…from the Dark Ocean?" Kari asked a tone of fear in her voice.  
Regan's eyes hardened and he rose strait to stare at Kari in her eyes. "Of course not. It surely can't be anything from there! We managed to beat out whatever dragged us there, and if we just try to despair again, then we'll probably be dragged in it again, so don't lose hope Kari!" Regan said a bit angrily.

A slight beeping came out from the room where the computer was, slightly startling the two Digidestined.

"Is Gatomon or Lizomon doing something on the computer?" Kari asked.  
"Last I checked Lizomon was taking in the wind outside and Gatomon was taking a nap." Regan replied.

Curious yet wary, the two Digidestined came up(a bit carefully) to the computer room to see that the computer had turned on itself on its own.  
The screen then flared to life before a cloaked form appeared in the screen.

"Regan, Kari, do you hear me?" the voice of Krasus came out of the speakers.

"Ah…it's only you Krasus…" Regan said, a bit more relieved. He came up to the computer before sitting on a chair and looking closer at the computer. Kari also came up closer, standing aside Regan.

"Is there something wrong you wanted to tell us Krasus?" Kari asked.

Pulling back his hood to reveal his slightly scarred face, the silver haired wizard looked straight toward the two kids.

"Yes, I am still pondering upon the many hypothesises I have about who could be the one after you…although I think we might all know one possible Digimon capable of interdimensional assaults." Krasus spoke on the computer.

"Yeah…we know the guy too…" Regan answered, his eyes narrowing, and Kari's expression becoming a bit more worried.  
"But…as far as I know…could he send out other digimon into other dimension to attack us?" Kari asked.

Krasus rose a hand, slightly rubbing his chin before his fingers slightly went to the three parallel scars 'decorating' his right cheek.  
"That is why I find this curious. As far as I know concerning this digimon's habits, he attacks directly, never by using other digimon or other kind of forces. It truly makes this suspicious…" Krasus answered, his gaze becoming harder.

Some sort of beeping then came out from a side of Krasus, from something the two Digidestined couldn't see in the screen. And at the same time, a slight beeping was coming out of the two's digivices.

"Huh?" Regan was a bit caught off-guard by the sudden beeping as he looked at his digivice.  
At the same time, Kari looked at her own, as much confused as Regan. "Krasus, what's happening on your side? What was that beep of yours?" she asked.

They saw Krasus create out a stone throne out of thin air before sitting on it, and looked at that 'something' on his side.

"I believe we have another dimensional incursion." Krasus answered.  
"What? Is that why our digivices are reacting?" Regan asked.  
"Yes. I took the liberty to send out a small program to your digivices so they would be able to signal out the presence of a dimensional anomaly or incursion. And as I hoped, the digivices integrated the programs I sent."  
"And you didn't told us about that…" Regan spoke a bit grimly, his eyes narrowing more as he eyed Krasus on the screen with a more distrustful look.

"Regan…Sometimes, you know Krasus has to do things without telling us anything…It's his way…" Kari said with concern, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Regan calmed slightly, closing his eyes. "I know…I really know that…But I really can't help it knowing he still do that…As if he was going to use us as pawns or tools or something…" Regan said a bit angrily.

Kari's worried look only remained. She too didn't like the mage when they had some encounters with him, but ultimately, he planned only to help them out and the Digital World.

But the day when it all happened…So many horrors just seemed to happen…

Terrible revelations were unleashed that day…  
Along with heart-wrenching battles…and some really hard deaths to take on…

Along with a really hard betrayal…  
In a way, that said betrayal truly hurt…until _they_ intervened…And everything was made clear to everyone…

But in all of this…Kari knew it was Regan who had taken it all of it the hardest…  
Small wonders when you knew that some of the terrible truths that had been discovered actually directly concerned him…  
Along that some of the deaths truly struck Regan deep…  
A scar of some sort remained in Regan's heart and soul…  
A scar, as much like Lizomon has his owns within himself…

A scar that might never fade…much like the three scars visible on the face of the 'Elder'…

Thinking of the man's scars brought Kari's attention back to the man on the computer screen. "So Krasus…what is that 'dimensional incursion'?" she asked.

Krasus' brow furrowed on the screen. "I have located it in the city…but I am unable to get a true location…something is not right about that…" a buzzing spread in the screen, interrupting most of Krasus' last words. "-nal."

"Hey Krasus, we're getting some interferences. Is there something wrong?" Regan asked, approaching his face to the screen.

More interruptions spread out in the screen before they saw Krasus who was still frowning…then they saw him gasp.

Looking straight at the Digidestined before more interferences hid him again, although he returned once more, shouting : "-tined! Pull ba-" Interferences again. "-ow!!!"

Just as the Digidestined started stepping back in confusion, the screen completely filled with static…

And an explosion of light surged out of the computer screen, startling the two Digidestined.  
Screams were barely heard before the light ceased and no sounds came out from the computer room…

"Kari!" Gatomon shouted, running out of the bedroom to hurry to the computer room. At the same time, Lizomon burst through the open window of the dining room. "Regan! Are you okay?" he yelled.

But as the two digimon neared the computer room's entrance…  
They found no traces of their partner, only the computer screen which was filled with static.

"Damnit!" Lizomon cursed. "What the hell just happened?"  
"We should warn out someone!" Gatomon said.

Just as the two digimon started running out of the apartment, Krasus appeared in the doorway, his expression dark.

"Going out to warn for help won't truly aid you. We will need to specifically ask for Riza and Kylee's aid, along with their digimon…" Krasus said.

"But what happened to our partners?" Gatomon asked.  
"They have been kidnapped we could say…" Krasus answered darkly.  
"By who? And how?" Lizomon asked.  
"I will explain everything once Riza, Kylee and their digimon will be with us. They will no doubt have the very same questions than you have…" Krasus replied before turning away, starting to leave through the door.

On what he just said, Lizomon couldn't argue on it…

---

It didn't took long for the two Tamers and their digimon to come over at the apartment (considering they were in a nearby park and Krasus teleported to them to warn out he needed their help).

"What happened with Kari and Regan?" Kylee asked worryingly as she busted in the apartment.  
"Hey Kylee, you know you aren't the only one who's worried, right?" Riza said right behind her.

"Hey! What about us?!?" Lizomon yelled rather offended. "It's our partners that are in trouble!"  
"Sorry…" Kylee replied. "Uhm anyway Elder, what's wrong with Regan and Kari? What happened to them?"

"A digimon has captured them. For what purpose exactly, I cannot say..." Krasus answered.  
"But we saw no one around when we got to the computer room where they were, so did that digimon took them in the Digital World?" Gatomon asked.

"The Digital World?" Riza repeated. It sparked an unexpected interest in both he and Kylee. In a way, they did wanted to be able to go there once...so, would it be the case now?

"No, they are not there. That is what the digimon want us to believe instead." Krasus answered.  
"The Digimon is in the Internet." He added.

"W-What? He's in the Web?" Impmon asked, looking confused.  
"Indeed." The Elder answered. "I can help you enter the Internet to go after that digimon, but you should be extremely wary once there. That is why I will also give you this." The cloaked man added as he pulled out two cards from his cloak. Two blue cards.

"Matrix Digivolution cards!!!" Riza said, recognizing the cards. "How did you get them?!?"  
"That is not needed for you to know." The Elder answered, handing the cards to Kylee and Riza who accepted them a bit reluctantly.  
"So...will do you accept to go save Regan and Kari?" the Elder then asked as the two Tamers stared at their new cards.  
"Of course! We can't let them in the hands of that digimon who took them!" Riza said.  
"Good. It is settled then, I guess." The cloaked elder replied.  
"One thing I wonder Elder...Will these cards work?" Kylee asked.  
"I am quite certain of it." The Elder answered.  
"Hey! We're coming too okay?" Lizomon suddenly yelled as he and Gatomon barged in closer.  
"I have no objections to that." The Elder answered once more. "In fact, I think it would be better you go of course."  
Kylee remained silent while she stared at the blue card in her hand, multiple questions flowing in her mind...but decided not to tell about them, considering there was some more urgent matters right now.  
"Alright...how do we go?" Kylee asked once more.  
"Hold your digivices to the computer screen while I will deal with opening the way in. Of course your digimon will need to stand besides you."  
The Tamers nodded while they took positions as instructed, the digimon coming to their sides while the Elder worked something on the computer.

When he was done, he rose before looking at the Tamers.  
"Good luck, and be careful." He said.  
With that he pressed the 'Enter' button on the keyboard and moved away from the screen.

A blast of light erupted from the screen, engulfing the two Tamers and the digimon, completely blinding them. Krasus also slightly shielded his face from the light before it was over...and the Tamers and the digimon were gone...

"Good luck again..." Krasus repeated before he sat once more at the computer screen and started typing on it...

---

Once again Kylee felt a strange feeling of displacement right after the light had overwhelmed them...and it was followed by a strange feeling of weightlessness.

Opening her eyes, Kylee then saw that she was floating in a large pipe-like hall which was very colorful and filled with very strange details…which was reminding of the Digimon movie 'Our War Game'…

"So…that's the Internet…Needs new wallpaper…" Kylee heard Lizomon commenting on her side. She looked to see Gatomon and Lizomon floating nearby. On her other side she noticed Impmon, Veemon and Riza.

"Whoa…this is so weird…" Riza said, looking around themselves.  
"You said it." Veemon replied.  
"Anyway, we go forward?" Impmon said.  
"Yeah, let's hurry up to find Kari and Regan." Gatomon said.

"Indeed…" a voice came up from above. All of them noticed a screen above them on which the cloaked face of Krasus was visible "Time is of the essence. I will try to guide you to the digimon's location, but be extremly wary, this digimon will undoubtedly be dangerous."

"We'll be ready for it!" Lizomon replied. "Let's go!"

With that said, he rushed forward ahead of the others.  
"Come on, let's hurry!" Impmon said. With that said, all the others quickly went up after Lizomon, keeping up close with the dragon digimon.

---

They continued 'flying' in the 'pipe halls', changing sections and going into different directions at some times, as they continued to see screens of the Elder showing them the direction, or other hints of direction the Elder was showing.

"Remember, we do not know what kind of digimon has capture them, so be extremely careful, there is no telling what that digimon could do." The Elder's voice warned out again as the Tamers and the digmon neared the end of a pipe which was going to lead them out into a huge room…

No doubt that the room, sphere-shaped, was of a truly gigantic size, although unlike all the other places they had went through in the Internet, this one was dark, filled with many clouds, some of them rumbling.

"Is…Is that normal all those clouds?" Kylee asked.  
Lizomon growled, as Gatomon's eyes narrowed. "The digimon that captured Regan and Kari is surely here…" the cat digimon spoke.  
"Regan! Kari!" Lizomon shouted.  
In all the emptiness of the large room…no answer came…

"Hehehe…so you've come…Trying to help your human friends, don't you?" a dark chilling voice spoke out from deep in the room.

"Who are you?!? Show yourself!" Riza said.  
"Oh…you even brought more humans with you…how pleasant…" the voice spoke.  
"Come on big bully! Don't think you can scare us easily with some big voice!" Kylee shouted.

"Oh, so you say that you're not scared eh?" the voice asked. "Very well then..."

The biggest mass of clouds in front of them suddenly parted away, as a large figure floated out of them, revealing itself...

To be a large metal skeleton, although instead of legs, the spine was resting on a large electrical orb of red energy. A smaller solid orb was etched in the ribs of the metal skeleton while a large cloak, black on the outside and red on the inside, rested upon the shoulders of the metallic skeletal figure, a large hood covering, yet not hiding the metallic skull. Along with that, it had no arms, however his hands were connected to his body with red electrical streams of energy, and the digimon held a large scythe with red electricity as the blades.

Upon seeing the digimon, both Riza and Kylee looked less confident than they previously were.  
"Uhhh....I think he is scary..." Riza said.  
The digimon moved in front of the humans, Lizomon and Gatomon frowning heavily while the other two digimon were not quite as angry, but a bit rather worried.

"What's that digimon?" Kylee asked.

"It's MetalPhantomon." Lizomon answered grimly. "An Ultimate level digimon that loves to feed upon the others' despairs and nightmares."

"Where are Kari and Regan?" Gatomon yelled at MetalPhantomon.  
"Oh, you must mean these two?" MetalPhantomon replied, waving a hand at another cloud nearby before it dissipated, revealing both Regan and Kari looking unconscious, tied up in red energy, along with a red aura visible around the two of them.

However, Lizomon peered strait at their partners, attempting to pick up more details about them, and noticed that they did not seemed truly unconscious...but looked pained, as if they were having nightmares...  
Which were probably induced by MetalPhantomon...

"Let go of them now you creep!" Impmon said.  
"Yeah! You got no right to take them!" Veemon added.

"Well...if you want them...Come and get them of you can!!!" MetalPhantomon yelled.

And suddenly, from the other clouds around, multiple other forms appeared. They looked like small ghosts, or rather old white cloths with fanged mouths...and witch hats on their heads.

"Are these...Bakemon?" Kylee asked.

"No...they're Soulmon." Riza replied, having taken out his digivice and pointed it toward one of the ghost digimon. "Virus attribute and Ghost types, just like Bakemon."

MetalPhantomon started floating a bit backward while the Soulmon started to move in front of him, obviously acting under his control. The metallic skeletal digimon chuckled darkly as he eyed the Tamers and the digimon with them.

"Looks like if we want to get to MetalPhantomon, we'll have to bust through the Soulmon. Ready Riza?" Kylee said.  
"Right." Riza replied as he took out his Digivolution card, imitated by Kylee.  
"Digi-Modify! Digivolution, activate!" both Tamers shouted as they swiped their cards in their D-Arcs.

"_Veemon, digivolve to...ExVeemon!!!  
"Impmon, digivolve to…Ignatismon!!!"_

"Alright! Let's show these ghost wannabes who's the real boss here!" Ignatismon replied, tightening a fist.  
The other digimon nodded.  
The Soulmon charged toward them, as ExVeemon, Ignatismon, Gatomon and Lizomon all moved away.

"X-Laser!" ExVeemon shouted as he stopped himself and crossed his arms on his chest before unleashing an X-shaped beam at one Soulmon, striking it dead before it burst in data.

"Ignatis Flare!" Ignatismon yelled, throwing back one punch before sending it forward, opening it as it burst into flames, sending out one fiery ball at a pack of Soulmon.  
The fire ball struck out one of the Soulmon before it triggered out a powerful explosion, which took out the whole pack of Soulmon.

"Hehehe..." MetalPhantomon still seemed to remain confident, despite that his minions were getting a hard beat, as even Gatomon and Lizomon were giving out a really hard time to the Soulmons, clawing and shooting at any of them they neared to.

Just as Ignatismon and Exveemon had started to charge toward him, MetalPhantomon raised his scythe...

"Grave Scream!" MetalPhantomon then shouted before unleashing a terrible screaming sound.

And upon hearing the terrible screeching sound, both Kylee and Riza held up their hands to their ears, so terrible the sound was terrible. Even then, their hands to their ears did nothing to truly lessen the horrible sound. They both screamed in pain from the sound.

"Kylee!!!"  
"Riza!!!"

Both Tamers' digimon quickly hurried back to their partners.

"Kylee! What's wrong?!?" Ignatismon asked as he came up to his Tamer.  
"Riza! Get a hold of yourself!" ExVeemon said.

But both Tamers didn't seemed to react to them, even if their digimon were trying to shake them a bit.

MetalPhantomon laughed, having stopped screaming, but still the two Tamers seemed to be in pain.

"What have you done to them?!?" Ignatismon yelled angrily toward the reaper digimon.

"They are now trapped in nightmares I created with my Grave Scream. Their own feelings and memories are serving to create the terrible nightmares in which they are now, and you're powerless to save them!" MetalPhantomon replied with another laugh.

"Grr…you're not gonna get with this!!!" Ignatismon yelled as he charged toward MetalPhantomon, closely followed by ExVeemon.

"Fools…" MetalPhantomon chuckled, then raised his scythe as the two digimon neared, and with one large swipe from it, he pushed back the two digimon away.

"You're nothing to me now! Your Tamers' nightmares are giving me more power! And like I said, there is nothing you can do for them!" MetalPhantomon replied with another laugh.

Yet…in all of this…

Where were Lizomon and Gatomon?

---

"Regan! Kari! Come on, get to your senses!"

They were floating right in front of their partners, the moment the Grave Scream had been unleashed, Lizomon had hurried to Gatomon to tell her to go to their partners. The distraction made by MetalPhantomon, Ignatismon and ExVeemon might just be what they could need to try to reach out to their partners.

"Kari…come on…" Gatomon said, looking very worried.

But both Digidestined still remained unmoving, still bound in the red energy and looking as unconscious as ever.

"Come on..." Lizomon muttered. He neared the face of his own partner. "Regan, I know you can hear me. You surely can! Please, you got to help us. Riza, Kylee, Impmon and Veemon...Along with Gatomon and me...We need you and Kari! So come on! You can surely get free of whatever MetalPhantomon did to you!"  
"Kari...I know you're strong, so you can get free. Don't think you're weak, even if darkness might look strong...because in all of this, it's darkness that fears you the most, so you can get free, and fight it!" Gatomon said, her own face close to her partner's.

Then a large wave of crimson energy struck both digimon, sending them flying away from their partners. MetalPhantomon laughed.

"Don't think you have any chances of freeing them! They are completely under my control now, there's nothing you can do for them!" the reaper digimon said.

---

"_Regan Astrasz...  
Kari Kamiya...  
__  
I know you can hear me..."_

"Y...You?"  
"K-Krasus?"

---

Ignatismon and ExVeemon struggled to 'stand' once more. Looking at their partners who still looked in pain.  
"No! We surely can get them! You won't win!" ExVeemon said.

---

"_Children...  
Even in this pain, in those nightmares, I am still there...  
I am the only thing real...while everything else he can bring at you is illusion...  
Thus...MetalPhantomon cannot truly harm you...Only your heart can, if you keep letting fear strike at you..."_

"Y...

Ysera?"

---

"You won't get our partners that easily. They're still fighting and are still strong, I know it!" Lizomon replied harshly toward MetalPhantomon.  
MetalPhantomon only laughed more. "Oh real-"

A bright crimson and pink light suddenly interrupted him before the light burst out in every directions, blinding everyone for a while.  
And when it faded, all the digimon looked toward where the light came out from...And Lizomon and Gatomon smiled while MetalPhantomon had a clearly suprised expression.

Both Regan and Kari were glowing bright with an aura of their respective color as they glared straight at MetalPhantomon.

"You've been daring to use our memories against us..." Kari started.  
"And we're going to give you a real lesson about them!" Regan finished.

Both Digidestined looked toward their partners who were rushing at them before the children's auras faded from them, but not before focusing in their right hands, where their crest marks were hidden. With a nod to each other, they brought up their right hands on their digivices, which answered with a strong beeping which made Gatomon and Lizomon glow...

"_Lizomon, digivolve to...Ryumon!!!"  
"Ryumon, digivolve to...MetalRyumon!!!"  
"Gatomon, digivolve to...Angewomon!!!"_

Out of where the two digimon were, an angel and a large metal dragon rushed straight at MetalPhantomon, ramming into him with all their might.

"Kari...let's help them...They've been fighting to help us, so we'll fight with them against MetalPhantomon." Regan said to Kari.  
"Okay." Kari replied with a nod.

With a new beep, the Digidestined's digivices unleashed a massive amount of data which surrounded their owners before they burst out of it, changed, Regan completely encased in a cybernetic body all added up with metallic horns coming from the sides of his head, large metallic dragon wings coming out of his back with jet ports in his back as well, while Kari was now dressed like Angewomon, clothes and all, along with her hair which were now of a greater length.

With a cry, the 'MetalRyumon' Regan rushed strait passed his digimon and Kari's, going straight for MetalPhantomon, who raised his scythe to block out Regan's claws as he struck the scythe.  
However, as MetalPhantomon struggled to keep Regan away from him, the 'Angewomon' Kari flew behind and above Regan before pointing one finger at MetalPhantomon, and shot a bright pink beam from it, straight at the digimon's chest, which made the reaper digimon grunt in pain.

"Ugh…how did you managed to free yourselves?" MetalPhantomon asked.  
"It's fairly obvious…Thanks to our friends that are with us." Regan replied, his blue eyes glowing, MetalRyumon hovering behind him in a menacing pose, his own eyes glowing akin to Regan's.  
"Just as they would help us, we will help them." Kari replied, looking as stoic as Angewomon herself, just as her own digimon had the same look, standing aside her transformed partner.

Suddenly, a bright flash of green distracted everyone as they looked toward where it came…

The Tamers.

Ignatismon and ExVeemon looked with some surprise at a pale green human form which was floating right in front of them, and their partners, which now looked tired…but clearly freed from MetalPhantomon's influence.

"Remember your dreams, young ones…" a dreamy woman's voice spoke from the green form before it faded away…

"Thanks…" Kylee muttered with some slight awe, then glared straight toward MetalPhantomon. "You're really gonna get it hard for what you tried to do to us, and to Regan and Kari!"

"Grr…" MetalPhantomon growled. "You're not gonna get away with this! I still have more than enough power to destroy all of you! Soul Predator!" he shouted before pulling back from Regan and swung out his scythe really hard, sending out a barrage of energy waves, breifly suprising MetalRyumon, Angewomon, Regan and Kari who were all struck by at least one of the waves, which propelled them backward as they crashed into the Tamers and their digimon.

"Ow…darn it…" Regan muttered before he pushed himself from the others, just as everyone started to regain their bearings. "Is everyone okay?" Regan asked.

"Fine here." MetalRyumon rumbled as he flew a bit ahead, then blasted in a charge toward MetalPhantomon, yelling "Strato Cannons!" before unleashing a barrage of multi-colored energy blasts at the reaper digimon, which was now forced on the defensive.

"Angewomon and me are okay." Kari said, though slightly looking at one of her arms were she had gotten a small gash due to MetalPhantomon's attack.  
In fact, Regan did noticed that not one of them, human(Bio-Modified or not) and digimon had been slightly struck by MetalPhantomon's attack as he notice that Kylee and Riza had also gotten som extremly minimal wounds.

"Riza, Kylee, think you guys can get back in the fight with your digimon?" Regan asked, beating a bit on his wings.

"Of course we're ready!" Ignatismon quickly replied, interrupting his Tamer from answering, although it was obvious Kylee was agreeing to this, so did Riza.

"Let's use those new cards the Elder gave us." Riza said, looking at Kylee.  
"Alright, here goes…" Kylee said as they both took out their blue Matrix Digivolution cards.

"Digi-Modify! Matrix Digivolution, activate!" both Tamer shouted as they swiped their cards in their digivices, which caused ExVeemon and Ignatismon to glow…

"_ExVeemon, Matrix Digivolve to…Paildramon!!!"  
"Ignatismon, Matrix Digivolve to…Itzalmon!!!"_

As the two new digimon, Riza was quite pleased to see once again the Ultimate form of his digimon, Paildramon, bearing his guns and ready to fight.

For Kylee though, it was only being even more impressed as she saw her digimon digivolve once more to a new level…which meant one step closer to Mega…

Itzalmon looked rather similar Ignatismon however his body was covered in black clothings and the lower half of his face was covered in a black cloth mask while most of the upper half of his face was covered in a dark purple mask a bit similar to Beelzemon's (although it only had two holes since Itzalmon had only two eyes) , as now his skin's color had turned gray although his eyes remained green. He also had shoulder length white hair which was tied in a ponytail. He was also bearing some small brown shoulder plates along with wearing a long red scarf and dark purple bandages were wrapped around his torso, upper halves of his arms and bottom halves of his legs. Although the bottom halves of his arms weren't covered in clothings, he was weilding a katar-like weapon in each of his hands. His appearance clearly made him look either like some sort of ninja or assassin…

"Alright…it's time to put out some light for some reaper wannabe here!" the new Ultimate spoke. "Who's with me?" Itzalmon asked loudly.

"We are!" Regan, Kari, Angewomon and Paildramon all replied loudly.

"And I'm ahead of all of ya!" MetalRyumon shouted from ahead, still bombarding MetalPhantomon with his Strato Cannons, as the reaper digimon was flying around to evade the cannon blasts, he replied with some energy waves of his own.

"Alright, let's finish this show now!" Paildramon shouted.  
"Go get him now!" Riza shouted.

And the three digimon, along with the 'Ultimate' Bio-Modified Regan and Kari all ruished toward MetalPhantomon and MetalRyumon, obviously intending to give out a good hand to their metal dragon friend…

"Desperado Blasters!" Paildramon shouted, shooting out blue blasts of energy toward MetalPhantomon, who started having even more trouble to evade the attacks, considering that now Paildramon added up to the attacks MetalRyumon was already launching.  
"Celestial Arrow!" Angewomon shouted as she prepated an arrow of light and shot it straight toward MetalPhantomon, who quickly threw in front of him all he could of his cloak to protect himself as best as possible, but the arrow send him flying backward with heavy force.

"Don't think you'll go away that easily!" Itzalmon yelled. "Shadow Knife Dance!" he shouted before vanishing and reappearing near Phantomon and slashed at him once before vanishing and reappearing over him, slashing once more, and repeated his maneuver several times.

"He's yours now guys!" Itzalmon then yelled before pulling himself away from the battered MetalPhantomon. The reaper digimon only noticed his latest attacker going away…to notice two other figures rushing at him : The Bio-Modified Regan and Kari.

Regan extended out long claws from his right hand before he rushed forward to strike MetalPhantomon in the chest while Kari floated a bit above, her right hand pointed toward MetalPhantomon as her Angewomon's bow formed on her long glove.

Battered and damaged as he had been, MetalPhantomon was unable to evade Regan as he struck him hard, and soon after, Kari released her light arrow she had formed, shooting it strait at MetalPhantomon.

Regan pulled himself away just as the arrow neared, but not before pointing his own cannons and opened fire just as Kari's arrow was inches from MetalPhantomon.  
The arrow struck deep, followed by Regan's Strato Cannons.

MetalPhantomon screamed…before he finally exploded in data…

"Whew…It's over…" Regan said.  
"Thanks guys for having come up to help us." Kari said, looking at Kylee and Riza, even despite the Angewomon helmet on her head.

---

"No! I don't want to!"  
"Come on kids! He said it was necessary!"

The Digidestined, Tamers and their digimon had finally returned from their 'adventure' in the Internet, only to find Krasus waiting for them…with syringes.

Needkess to say, most of the kids weren't exactly pleased with Krasus' current request : some sample of each of the kids' blood.

"Uhm, Elder…Just why you'd need to do that?" Regan asked a bit uncertainly, keeping a look on Lizomon who had pinned down Riza because he had tried to sneak away.

"All of you have been struck by one of MetalPhantomon's attacks, his Soul Predator. At first glance, all of you only received extremly minor wounds, even for you Tamers who weren't in a Bio-Modified state, but I would want to verify if it wasn't a desperate attempt to poison all of you. MetalPhantomon could have been capable of doing so…" Krasus answered.

"_And along with that, it will allow me to verify the current status of the data extraction…"_ Both Kari and Regan heard those words into their minds.

With a sigh, Regan nodded. "Alright, you can do it for all of us…" Regan said. Just like rather any kid…he didn't liked syringes…

"Do not worry. I can use my magic so you will not feel anything from the syringes." Krasus said with a very faint smile.

That made the two Tamers a bit less hesitant.  
"Alright, what are you waiting for then Elder?" Kari asked.

---

Footsteps echoed in the vast rocky cavern that Krasus used as his hideout, which formerly was part of the Black Spear criminal gang's hideout. As the gray cloaked man returned into the area which was the arena, he summoned once again a stone throne, but this time, he also summoned a large table, with multiple strange instruments on it, some looking like some medical equipement, although with some changes, like small crystals in them, or strange markings etched in them…

Krasus pulled out from his cloak four small vials each filled with blood and each of them labeled with a few strange symbols, clearly an unknown dialect in which Krasus was skilled in.

Krasus put two of the vials upon two receptacles, with two small crystals lying near them. As Krasus pressed one switch on the devices, the crystals rose and started spinning slowly around the vials, while emitting a small light.  
For a while, Krasus waited…until the crystal stopped glowing. He started putting two other vials in two other devices before turning them on and then took a look at the first two.

A light projected out of nowhere above the two devices showed the vials' contents, magnified, as now anyone could have seen that the content of the vials was blood.

As Krasus was peering at the images, he started looking slightly toward his back. "…Of any of those who could have come here…I am surprised you came here, Darius Duke…" Krasus spoke.

"Well…you could say…a heart ache…" the teen's voice answered from the entrance of the cavern. The former gang leader stood a bit uncertain at the entrance, looking curious as why was this man here, and a bit scared that he shouldn't have interrupted.  
"Well…you can come in if you want…" Krasus then spoke before returning his attention to his devices.  
"I never thought you'd use our old hideout for you." Darius said as he approached Krasus.  
"Considering I made sure no one would know of this place, it was quite appropriate for me." Krasus simply answered.  
"What that? Is that blood?" Darius asked as he looked aside Krasus and at what the cloaked man was looking at, but then stepped back a bit, unsure if he should look. It could be something very secret after all…  
"Yes, it is blood…but there is more to it…take a look yourself…" Krasus said, slightly stepping sideway. Uncertain, Darius approached and looked at the illusions projecting the content of the first two vials.  
"Wait a minute…what's that?" Darius said, looking at something he had never seen before. It wasn't red blood or white blood cells, and neither platelets…but something else…  
"It is Digimon 'DNA' data." Krasus answered.  
Darius gasped and stepped away from the images. "Inside human blood?!? How's that possible?"

Krasus started walking toward his stone throne before sitting on it. "The tale is quite complicated in fact…Please, take a seat." The cloaked man then said, waving behind Darius, and the teen could see a seat having appeared out of nowhere being there. Uncertain, he sat.  
"Those blood samples you saw belongs to none other than Regan Astrasz and Kari Kamiya." Krasus said, which made Darius' eyes widen. "True, you may wonder why they have digimon data within their bodies…  
I will not explain the details of the story, considering they would not want to, however some time ago in the Digital World, an accident happened to the two of them, in which their bodies received a heavy injection of digimon data belonging to their partners. They were plunged into a deep coma, and seemed to be quickly dying.  
I hurried to bring them to my hideout so to study the problem and make a cure, however I soon discovered that the digimon data was starting to change their bodies, trying to reconfigure it…  
It a sense, it was destroying them as the humans they are, to change them into something else…more Digimon-like." Krasus explained.  
"W-What did you do then?!?" Darius asked, completely hanging out to Krasus' words.  
"I first attempted to extract the digimon data from their bodies, but I realized it was quickly intertwined with their own selves, in a sense. I would have killed them if I would have done so.  
I considered many options…until one dawned on me.  
And in the end, that option was a sucess…and their lives were spared as I cured them…in a sense…  
For in fact, I had been unable to remove the digimon data from their bodies…  
However I instead made a change in their bodies so they would isolate and store their digimon data 'elsewhere'. Of course, containig the data would not be a good option, since it could be able to break out on day. So, with the use of their digivices, they are capable to release the data themselves into their bodies, but in a controlled fashion so that they rather change in some sorts of…half-digimon, based from their own partners.  
A process I have named 'Bio-Modify'." Krasus explained.  
"Bio-Modify…" Darius repeated, then gasped. "Wait a minute! That explains why Kari had those Gatomon ears, gloves and tail back when-" but he stopped, looking uncertain.  
"Indeed, she had used her Bio-Modification at that time. However, we are disgressing.  
Keeping the data controlled in that manner isn't the only thing my plan did. Since when they stop using their Bio-Modification, their bodies are subjected to extreme pain due to the massive activities induced to it. However, the more they use Bio-Modify, the less painful it becomes…because more digimon data starts to actually be a part of their bodies." Krasus said, continuing his explanations.  
"So that means if they use it too much, they might get changed into those half-digimon forms permanently…or worse…" Darius concluded.  
"Indeed…" Krasus answered. "Fortunately, thanks to another special process, Regan and Kari are capable of extracting that surplus data from their bodies and give it back to their digimon partners, thus cleansing their bodies from the digimon data. They simply have to continue repeating the process over and over until they will have no more digimon data within themselves : Use Bio-Modify to amass a suitable amount of digimon data in their bodies, and then use the other process to return the data to their partners. As simple as that, and yet quite complicated. I doubt anyone else would have been able to come up with such plan…"  
"You really seem like you're an expert about things in the Digit-" Darius started, but suddenly, some of the devices' crystals which were functionning turned of a bright red color, catching up the attention of Krasus and Darius.  
To Darius' suprise, Krasus raised out of his throne and hurried to the table with greater speed than he would anticipated…  
"No…How is this possible? Unless…  
It would explains much…" Krasus muttered.  
"What's wrong?!?" Darius asked, hurrying to see what was the problem.

He saw two other devices which were projecting images of their scanning results…and saw the normal contents there is in blood…but he also noticed very very faint traces…  
"Is…is that Digimon data in that blood?!?" Darius asked.  
"Indeed…" Krasus answered **very** darkly… "And those blood samples do not belong to either Regan or Kari…  
"Then…to who?" Darius asked, uncertain if he wanted the answer.

"Kylee Henke and Riza Ryuzaki." Krasus answered.  
Darius gasped. "W-What did you do to them?!?"  
Krasus suddenly whirled over, facing Darius with a glare that made the teen shiver. "Do not think that I am the one who caused this to them…However I think I might know the cause of it…"  
"And what is it?" Darius asked.  
"I recently sent Kylee and Riza in the Internet with their digimon partners along with Regan and Kari's, to go save the two Digidestined that had been captured by a Digimon named MetalPhantomon.  
However in the battle, MetalPhantomon managed to use an attack which managed to deal out minor wounds to each and everyone of them, humans and digimon alike.  
I believe…that during that moment when they were all pushed back together, the opened wounds allowed some digimon data belonging to Kari and Regan to infect the bodies of Kylee and Riza. That…along with data from Impmon and Veemon." Krasus explained darkly as he eyed the results, which now showed information in a strange dialect about the digimon data itself.  
"But then you got to use that cure you spoke about! It's working with Regan and Kari, that thing that extracts the digimon data they have and give it back to their digimon! Surely it'll work, right?!?" Darius asked, looking panicked.

"If only it was _that_ easy…" Krasus spoke darkly.  
"Huh…what do you mean?" Darius asked, looking worried.  
Krasus looked at him with another dark look. "The cure which I spoke of…I have no doubt that if Kylee and Riza could use it, it would permanently cure them of this infection. However…

**They are unable to use it**."  
"What?!? How?!?" Darius asked.  
"The cure is in fact a powerful ability that Regan and Kari are able to use with their digimon partner. An ability that requires a truly powerful bond between the digimon and the human. Both Regan and Kari has shown themselves capable of doing so with their partners. This ability partly inspired me concerning my original curing plan.

However, neither Kylee nor Riza have such truly powerful bonds. True, they have excellent relations with their digimon…but the true bond which I am talking of is not there…yet…" Krasus spoke, slowly considering something.  
"Perhaps something could be done…so to make them being able to use that ability too…  
But I do not know if those two Tamers will have enough time to use it…" Krasus said.  
"What do you mean? Wait a minute…You mean…how much time do Kylee and Riza have before…it's too late?" Darius asked, still clearly worried.  
"I would say…

That they only have two days before they will cease to be as Kylee Henke and Riza Ryuzaki…" Krasus answered darkly, thinking of the two Tamers and the two Digidestined which surely right now were spending their time having fun with each other and their digimon partner…

…Completely unaware of the terrible fate that was nearing two of them…

And if Krasus was unable to make things come possible…

Then…

It would be over…

For Kylee and Riza…

Possibly forever…


	12. An odd ‘tail’ and knights

"_I must say how often I have used many others in my life, yet I am I not insensible to what I cause to them. And right now, I had a complicated situation on my hands._

Many times, there have been many things which I had been the true responsible behind a situation…  
And the threat to the lives of the two Tamers was no exception…  
Still…There had to be a way…"

**Chapter 12 : An odd 'tail' and knights**

A rather dark moody rain was now covering the entire Phoenix City as the night was slowly coming, people all returning to their homes...

For Regan, Kari and their digimon, they simply remained tranquilly resting at home, calmly watching the rain falling outside. It had a nice peaceful effect to it...

Their friends the Tamers had went back to their respective homes since a while now. So for now...the Digidestined really had nothing to do...

"You know, I'm kinda glad the end of that day didn't go without any sort of weird thing happening..." Regan said as he stood in front of the window, watching the rain and the coming night. He had a tired expression on his face, considering he and Kari had been through today, along with their friends while in the Internet.  
And considering that they didn't get any sort of messages from Krasus about the blood analysis probably meant it was going well...

---

While the rain was falling upon the streets, there was one who rather ignored the extremely faint sound of the rain he could hear from being underground...

Krasus remained sitting in his throne, fingers tapering together as he thought deeply about his truly complicated problem. Darius had left him since a while, and he was grateful of that, for the wizard needed to be alone.

And now, he was bearing guilt upon himself once more...  
Since now, he would be soon being responsible for the possible coming deaths of Kylee Henke and Riza Ryuzaki, the two Tamers. Krasus had discovered that their blood had been infected with digimon cells from their respective partners...but also from cells belonging to Regan and Kari.  
The mage was estimating that in two days...they would no longer be humans...or worse.

Yet, there existed a cure that could save the two Tamers. It is the same cure process that both Kari and Regan are currently undergoing.  
But the problem...was that neither Kylee nor Riza were able to use the cure...  
Even with the cards he gave them, Krasus had doubts they could succeed...

The mage then thought back about the cure...and how both Regan and Kari had been able to use the process for it...  
In both cases, it had been a rather desperate situation that triggered it...along with an unexpected stronger link between the digimon and the human.

Theoretically, there could be a way...although...

"_Troubled, are we, wise Krasus?"_ a dreamy female voice then spoke to him. Krasus slightly jolted, realizing he had started to doze off. It had been some time since he hadn't slept...

"Indeed...Ysera..." Krasus answered to the empty air.  
"_So sad..."_ the voice of Ysera replied with a sigh before a green glow appeared slowly some distance in front of Krasus and a beautiful tall woman dressed in a long green gown, with green hairs and a slight tinge of green to her skin, along with keeping her eyes closed, appeared, 'gazing' at Krasus on his throne.

"Surely you know now the dilemma I currently have, great Ysera." Krasus then spoke. "But you surely can understand how troubling it is..."

Ysera nodded, her face turning more serious. "Yes...It would not be truly...fair...that these two children suffer such a possible coming fate..." the woman answered with a slight frown. "Considering what they have done for us, me especially..."  
"I know..." Krasus replied. "Recently, there has been many troubles that appeared, becoming stronger with time, thus the reason why I created and gave those new cards to the Tamers...but right now, it does not seem that a new problem is coming...and if it were to be the case, it could be very problematic, considering that the next evolution step for their digimon is the Mega level. In this city, a fight between Megas could cause many casualties..."

"Perhaps it would be appropriate to search for other troubles elsewhere in this world?" Ysera pondered slightly.  
"I had already considered that, which is why I expanded my scrying spells all around the world, so to be warned in the case of something unexpected..." Krasus replied.  
"Or perhaps...it could need a little bit of our guidance..." Ysera suggested.  
Krasus remained silent for a little while, staring at the green woman. "You would suggest of creating a fake threat?"  
"Or at least attract another one somewhere here..." Ysera said.  
"...It could be risky...

But perhaps it may be worth it..." Krasus answered after another moment of silence.  
"Perhaps we can see to this threat, and obviously it should not be here in this city, we are already agreeing on that detail..." Ysera added.  
"I think we are getting an agreement..." Krasus answered.

---

Eyes opening slowly, Regan let out a wide yawn as he slowly got out of the couch bed in the living room of his and Kari's 'hideout'. Regan started to get out of the bed when a familiar voice greeted his ears.

"Good morning Regan..." the voice said...Krasus' voice...

Surprised, Regan raised straight out of the bed to see Krasus sitting at a chair in the dining room.  
"Geez, you could at least waited until we had really waked up and taken some breakfast..." Regan said with an annoyed groan.  
"Does it really matters right now? I only want to say some things, that is all." The gray cloaked mage replied.  
"Okay, you got my attention...so what is it?" Regan asked, taking a seat at another chair in the dining room.  
"I have extended the range of my scrying spells to see if there might be any other sort of dimensional anomaly elsewhere in the world. Of course your digivices would not have as much range as my spells, so this is why I wanted to inform you I might have found something farther in the south. I intend to go there to verify whether what I found truly is another threat or something else..." Krasus explained.  
"And you'd want us as backup eh?" Regan continued.  
"Indeed. Although while I am searching for it, I think that you and the others could manage to get some free time as it can be possible..."  
"Wait a minute...you said free time?" Regan asked, raising a hand and looking rather confused and suspicious. "This isn't usual for you to want to give us some sort of vacation Krasus..."  
"I do realize I have pushed all of you quite far..." Krasus replied, the hooded face slightly lowering. "All of you have great talent...however all of you have been subjected to extreme pressures recently. And I think you have often considered many of my actions as unsuitable...Perhaps even for those of my kind.  
In better upholding the beliefs of my kind, I would want to give you some help, as I have always done."

Regan was a bit surprised. He had never expected that kind of considerate acting from Krasus. Although a part of him was saying that it might hide something else, it was true that Krasus had pushed him and many others a lot. And besides, Regan knew that Krasus wasn't guilt-immune. The mage really, really hated to feel guilty, as far as Regan knew. He probably was feeling guilty somehow, so to manage to relieve it off a bit, he wanted to 'offer' some little vacation to them.  
It could be that, or it could be something else.  
Regan did hoped Krasus hadn't some sort of plot in what he was saying to him right now...  
"Fine Krasus." Regan answered. "We'll come along. Can the Tamers come as well?"  
"Of course." The elder wizard answered before rising. "Oh, and I think you will need to pack some bathing suits as well."  
"We bought one for you Regan when we had been shopping, Kylee and I." Kari suddenly interrupted, still in pyjamas as well. Obviously she had been listening since a while. "And of course, Kylee got me one too..."

" Very well. Tell your friends about my offer and I will return after you should have finished breakfast." Krasus said before vanishing.

"Well...didn't thought he'd offer some vacations to us..." Regan said.  
"But you're thinking there _could_ be something else right?" Kari asked, a bit worryingly.  
"Yeah..." Regan answered. "And so does you too..." he added, knowing she was rather thinking the same as well...

---

"Hello?"  
"_Kylee?"_  
"Yeah, it's me."  
"_It's me, Kari."_  
"Oh, hi Kari! What's the matter?"  
"_You probably won't really believe it...but the Elder is offering us some...vacations..."_  
"You're serious?!?"  
"_Yeah. A lot suprising huh?"_  
"You're sure telling me...Anyway, where it is?"  
"_Just come to our hideout after you're done with breakfast if you haven't eaten yet. Make sure to pack a bathing suit too."_  
"Got it!"

Kylee put back on the phone as Impmon came up to her. "Who was it?"  
"It was Kari. She says that the Elder is offering some vacation to all of us!"  
Impmon's eyes widened before one of them twitched. "You're sure we're talking about the weird creepy tall guy that's always in a gray cloak?" he asked.  
"Yeah, it's indeed him..." Kylee answered, though thinking about what Impmon just said made her wonder why that strange man was offering them a vacation.

"Anyway, I should hurry to pack up what I'll need." Kylee added before hurrying to her bedroom.

---

With another call made to Riza as well, the two Digidestined also hurried to prepare what they would need. At least Regan was satisfied with the red swim trunks the two girls had bought for him during their shopping trip.

Still, he was troubled about why Krasus was offering them a vacation trip in the south. Was that really out of some desire of forgiveness, or was there really something else the mage had in mind?  
With Krasus, Regan had rather learned that he should expect virtually anything with the powerful wizard...

---

Both Riza and Kylee, along with their digimon, met each other along the way to the Digidestined's hideout, both of them hefting bags on their backs.

"Nice to see you guys are coming along." Kylee said to her friend.  
"Hey, I think we all deserve a vacation for what we did, right?" Riza asked. "And with the school still out, its fine for us!"  
"Although...I kinda wonder about the Elder...Why would he give us a vacation like that?" Kylee asked.  
"Yeah, I wondered about that too..." Riza added, his expression darkening a bit.

Climbing up the stairs after entering the old building, the two Tamers finally met up with Regan, Kari, Lizomon and Gatomon who were waiting inside their apartment, bags ready.

"Hi guys." Kari said with a smile as she saw the Tamers and their digimon coming in.  
"Hey there." Kylee replied.  
"So...any news about the Elder coming soon?" Riza asked.  
"He should be there very soon." Regan answered, checking his digivice.  
And as an answer, the tall gray cloaked man suddenly appeared out in the room. "Are you all ready?" he asked as he looked at the children.  
"We sure are!" Kylee replied.  
The Elder raised a hand...in some sort of warning. "I would like to specify that I am bringing all of you along with me considering the fact I need to make some investigations in the south. However, if possible I would like to have your aid as backup. So, be ready in case I may need your help if something goes wrong for me." He said.  
Riza frowned. "So this _wasn't_ only for a vacation eh?"  
"I apologize for that, but at least I wanted to offer some rest for all of you, yet I still hoped you would be willing to aid me should troubles arise..." the Elder added.  
"Yeah, yeah...We kinda understand you..." Regan replied, sighing as he rose up from the couch. "You're just doing out a lot of things by yourself, and often doing things without others' consents, so you kinda want to apologize for that now, right?"

"...You may have summed it rather well..." the Elder answered after a little while, seemingly uncertain.  
"Anyway, are we going soon?" Lizomon asked.  
"Indeed." The Elder answered. "You have everything you need?"  
"Lunch, bathings suits, towels and other things. We got them all." Gatomon answered.  
"_Like the digivices. If Krasus will want our help, we'll need them."_ Kari thought.  
"Very well then. Let us go." The cloaked man answered before raising his hands slightly and unleashed a great flash of light that engulfed everyone around him in the room before it faded, leaving no traces of anyone.

---

"_Is everything ready as he hoped?"  
"Yes it is. I will personally see to it."_

---

At a beach, which obviously looked much farther in the south than Phoenix City, a flash of light appeared before it faded, revealing the two Tamers, the Digidestined, their digimon, and Krasus.

"Yay! We're there!" Kylee let out with a smile.  
"Ugh..." Riza fell on his knees, holding a hand to his stomach and showing a sickened look on his face.  
"Uhm Riza? Are you all right?" Veemon asked worryingly. All the others looked worryingly at him, although Krasus has a darker concerned expression...

And a barfing sound was then heard moments after...as Riza let out some previous lunch out of his stomach and in the sand.

"Ewwww..." said both Kylee, Impmon, Gatomon and Lizomon. Regan and Kari were a bit disturbed though as well.

"How much had you eaten previously before I teleported all of us?" the Elder suddenly asked.  
"Well...a lot..." Veemon answered while thinking about all that Riza had eaten for breakfast.  
"It explains it. With his stomach so full, it clearly was hard to bear during the teleportation." The Elder added.  
"Yeah...that teleporting really felt weird..." Kylee added, holding a hand to her stomach, making sure and hoping she wasn't going to do the same as Riza, though it didn't seem that she was going to do so.  
"Unlike that previous one in the city, this one had a far greater range, thus a greater movement was required." The cloaked wizard explained.  
"Anyway, I think I should take Riza to a bathroom, because I don't know if he's ready to bring out even more food." Regan said with a little uncertain laugh as he went to Riza and helped him stand up.  
The Elder pointed a hand in a direction to his right and farther back in the lands. "There is a suitable place there to take care of Riza's little 'problem', and to allow you to change into something more suitable for the place." He replied.  
"Yeah, talking about that, after all it's kinda hot here." Kylee replied, taking off some little sweat off her face.  
"As for you, appropriate cabins and bathroom are in this direction." The Elder added, pointing to his left instead of right, while looking at the girls.  
"Okay then." Kari replied, hefting her bag again. "We'll see you guys later then."  
"Later then." Regan answered as he took both his and Riza's bags.

As the girls went toward their cabins, followed by their digimon, the boys went toward their own, accompanied by Lizomon and Veemon.  
As for Krasus though...he remained unmoving until all of them had left his field of vision.  
"Now...to begin with my work..." he muttered before vanishing suddenly.

---

A little while later, the girls started to get back at the beach, both now wearing bathing suits. While Kylee was wearing a two pieces light teal bathing suit, Kari had a one piece pink bathing suit. Kylee had tried to get a two piece for Kari, but the Digidestined had clearly denied about it.

"The boys aren't back yet?!?" Kylee said with a disappointed huff.  
"Well...considering that Riza had problems with his stomach..." Kari replied while putting her towel and bag in the sand.  
"Oh...yeah...Never thought that kind of thing could happen with that. You've ever seen that before?" Kylee asked again.  
"No, but the feeling that my stomach seemed to bounce everywhere did hit me once." The Digidestined girl answered, making a little face in the end. "That kind of thing with magic isn't always easy to handle when you got a weak stomach..."

"Hem, let's stop with the stomach thing girls, okay?" Impmon asked.  
"Right…" Kylee answered before putting down her bag and towel in the sand before going for the water. "Come on in! It's a lot warm!" she added with a smile toward the others.  
"No thanks for me…" Gatomon replied, sitting in the sand and crossing her arms.  
"It's alright, we can understand with you Gatomon." Kari replied with a little smile, putting down her towel and bag near her digimon, then started going for the water.

However, only after making a few steps in the water did Kari started to feel something wrong…or rather something _cold_ everywhere around herself, but especially coming from the water.

A cold feeling that was familiar...  
And by gazing further up in the waters, Kari's expression suddenly turned frightened.  
Kylee, noticing the strange acting of Kari, called out to her. "Kari! What's wrong?"  
"Behind you Kylee!" Kari replied, stepping back while she pointed her hand at whatever was behind the others.  
Kylee and Impmon turned to look...and saw some strange humanoid forms behind them. They looked rather humanoid...but seemingly completely made of darkness...

"W-What the heck are you?!?" Kylee spoke at the strange figures, stepping away from them.

"Child of Light...please come with us..." one of the strange figures asked, completely ignoring Kylee's question.

Kari only looked more afraid as she started to step back even further away, although Gatomon quickly charged in the water before jumping to punch one of the creatures in its face.

"Kylee, they're Scubamons!" Gatomon said as she pulled back from one of the dark digimon.

"Scubamons?" Kylee asked. It was a familiar name, but where did she heard it?  
Then it came back to her : The Digimon episode "His Master's Voice"...where Kari had been dragged into a dark ocean world by some strange digimon...The Scubamons...

"Badaboom!" Impmon yelled as he threw a fireball at another Scubamon's face. "Kylee! Go get your digivice!" the imp digimon quickly said. "We can't let them get Kari!"  
"Right!" Kylee nodded, and quickly started to run out of the water, hurrying to get her digivice.

But just when she had only started to make a few steps away, that a large sound suddenly caught her attention...or rather everyone's...  
As a huge wave of enormous size suddenly rose from the sea, standing drastically higher than everyone...before it came down crashing on all of them. The Scubamons...Gatomon and Impmon...Kari and Kylee...everything...

And when the wave retreated back into the ocean...only Gatomon and Impmon remained, face against the sand and completely drenched in water.

Gatomon started to push herself out of the sand, coughing several times before looking around herself. "Kari! Kylee! Where are you?!?" she shouted worryingly as she stood up.

Impmon also let out a cough, followed by the spill of water out of his mouth before talking as well. "...And where are all these Scubamons?"

Soft footsteps in the sand quickly warned the two digimon that someone quickly approached...but looking toward who it was clearly showed it wasn't anybody...  
The Elder...

"Gatomon, Impmon, are you well?" the cloaked wizard asked.  
"Y-Yeah…But where's Kari?" Gatomon asked.  
"And Kylee!" Impmon added. "Where are they?"

"This is a more complicated situation that it might be, and I would prefer to wait for Regan, Riza and their digimon before I shall explain…  
But I doubt I will be very long now…" Krasus answered, looking behind him as he saw the two boys in swimsuits, running toward them, hefting their towels and bags, their digimon close behind…

---

A hard headache was the first thing Kari was able to register as she slowly started to regain consciousness from the fact she felt numb. As she opened her eyes, her vision was still rather blurry, until finally started to clear, she saw mainly…blue…  
She was underwater!  
As soon as panic flowed in Kari, she gasped…and realized that she heard her own gasp extremely clearly…which meant she could speak underwater…even breathe somehow!  
Then, as the numbness in her body finally started to fade, she also started to feel something strange with her legs…  
She looked down…  
And it took her all her efforts not to scream...

---

"Just what the hell happened to them?" Riza asked loudly.  
"Honestly…what just happened?" Regan asked, his expression rather dark.  
"Hold on. Let Gatomon and Impmon explain themselves first." Krasus answered.  
"Well, we came back to the beach and we started to get in the water before Kari started to act a bit weird..." Impmon started.  
Gatomon shot a slight glare at Impmon before continuing. "It was...Scubamons."  
Lizomon frowned darkly as Regan looked more worried and concerned.  
"The Scubamons appeared out of the water and asked Kari to come with them. Obviously, Kari didn't wanted to, and I quickly went to fight them, Impmon joining in. But only moments after...a huge tidal wave came out of the sea and crashed on all of us...  
And when Impmon and I managed to recover...neither the girls, nor the Scubamons were here..." Gatomon added, looking down in the end.  
"...And what do you have to say in all of this?" Regan asked toward the gray cloaked man.  
"That the force I had been looking for around here was possibly the Scubamons...or possibly something else..." Krasus answered.  
"Something else? Why's that?" Riza asked.  
"Because not only I felt a disturbance caused by the coming of the Scubamons, but I also felt a very powerful force influencing in the tidal wave...  
And the essence of the Scubamons and the power in the tidal wave are completely unrelated. They are completely different, thus it was not the Scubamons who caused it."  
"What?!? How's that possible?" Regan asked.  
"You noticed anything odd when the wave happened?" Lizomon asked.  
"Yes." Gatomon answered. "When we all looked at the wave, I saw the Scubamons do the same...and they seemed as surprised as we were..."  
"So...it is something else indeed...but who or what?" Veemon concluded.  
"Buster, that's not the point! What about Kylee and Kari?" Riza interrupted.  
"Perhaps you were able to do something, Elder...didn't you?" Regan asked.  
"Yes...although you may not appreciate it." The Elder answered. "The power in the wave prevented me from being able to shield Kari and Kylee from it, and I was also unable to teleport them closer to me...

So...I did the opposite...I 'amplified' on the wave instead, and thus managed to teleport Kari and Kylee very far in the ocean instead."  
"W-What?!? But if that's the case...then this means they might have drowned in the water!" Riza said, starting to panic and get angry after the Elder...  
"If the Elder really wanted to kill them I'm sure he would have done it way earlier and surely he wouldn't be telling us he killed them." Lizomon interrupted. "You must have given them some sort of magical enchantments as well, right?" the dragon digimon asked.  
"Indeed." The Elder answered simply.  
"What do you mean Lizomon?" Veemon asked.  
"He means that Krasus put some spells on Kari and Kylee so they would survive in the water...something like being to breathe underwater I guess." Regan answered.  
"I had to put on something more complex in that case though...something rather in relation with my field of expertise." Krasus then added...which made Regan's expression darken even more.  
"Hem Regan? What's wrong?" Riza asked. "What does he means by 'field of expertise'?"  
"He means what he's really good in..." Regan answered with a dark mood. "You obviously know that the Elder is a really powerful wizard, but there's something in which he's even better : Shapeshifting, or shapechanging...  
The Elder is extremely skilled in magic to alter or change appearance. He could easily look younger, older, or as a completely different man..."  
"Or even take the appearance of a woman!" Lizomon interrupted with a slight morbid smile.  
"Anyway, the Elder can change himself, but he can change others too...And he's not limited to only changing to other human-like forms...he can change others into something else...Depends on what he has in mind at the time..." Regan finished, ignoring Lizomon's interruption.  
"...So you mean that he...changed Kylee and Kari...into something else?!? But what?!?" Riza asked, looking desperately at the Elder, along with Gatomon and Impmon.  
"I rather inspired myself out of mythology for this one...  
I believe you would usually call these creatures...'ningyo'...or 'γοργόνα', 'nixe', 'sirenita' or even other terms, right?  
"..." Riza remained silent, partly because of the Elder's unexpected skills in foreign languages, but also wondering about in what had he changed the girls into...  
"Damn it!" Regan cursed angrily.  
And at that moment...Riza realized in what the wizard had changed Kari and Kylee into...  
"You don't mean...you changed them into..."

---

Kari was still in shock from the discovery she had just made...  
She no longer had legs anymore...but a long pink coloured fish tail instead. And her bathing suit had changed as if she had been wearing a two-piece instead of her one-piece.  
And the fact that she still felt a faint headache clearly confirmed that this wasn't some weird dream...  
In other words…she was a mermaid…

Of course, for one such 'stunt'...there probably was only one person capable of doing that...  
Kari's thoughts were interrupted as she heard a slight moan and noticed Kylee floating close...with a light teal fish tail instead of legs.  
"_She isn't gonna like that, oh no..."_ Kari thought as she started to move closer to Kylee and took hold of her.  
"Kylee, do you hear me?" Kari asked, putting herself close enough so that Kylee wouldn't automatically notice her tail.  
"Uhhhh...Kari?" Kylee answered. "W-What happened...and where are we? God...I have one heck of a headache..."  
"Well..." Kari started. Better to go a bit straight to the point. "We're underwater."  
Kylee's eyes burst wide open as she then clearly started to gasp...and her expression slowly changed to surprise and confusion...  
"Hold on...we can talk...and breathe underwater?!? How's that possible?!?" Kylee asked confusedly. She then started to look more worried. "And...Why do my legs feel strange Kari?"  
Kari sighed. Now _that_ would be the part where she would panic...  
"You shouldn't really look at them...but then...you have to...But you really won't like it..." Kari answered before moving herself a bit sideways from Kylee.  
With a gulp, Kylee uncertainly looked down...  
And a scream then followed out of her mouth.

---

"Damn it Krasus! Why did you have to do this?!? You really take pleasure of using us like pawns, don't you?!?" Regan asked angrily.  
"Krasus?" Riza asked.  
"That's the Elder's real name." Lizomon answered. "I guess it's time to drop a bit more of your act Krasus."  
Krasus crossed his arms before letting out an annoyed sigh. "I understand your concerns and thoughts on this subject, but you can be certain that I do not like this as much as any of you do.  
Still...we should focus on the subject now, or at least one part of them : The Scubamons." Krasus replied.  
"That's true..." Veemon replied. "If I remember well...the Scubamons were from the digimon show...in that episode..."  
"'His Master's Voice'." Impmon added. "It was an episode with lots of 'Takari'." He added with an unexpected smirk.  
"No wonders why you seem to remember that episode so well..." Lizomon commented. "Do you have any ideas why there are Scubamons here Krasus? I'm really thinking that they actually are the same ones that Kari met in the Dark Ocean."  
"I agree." Krasus answered. "And I suspect that they may have been able to track her when she entered their world recently."  
Hearing that, Regan's thoughts went about _that_ day...where he and Kari had been forced into a date...  
Honestly, he couldn't really say if he truly liked or hated that...Which only made him more angered.  
"Anyway, we have to do something for Kylee and Kari!" Riza said.  
"Indeed. You will have to go after them, the digimon included." Krasus answered.  
That made the two boys and their digimon start.  
"Hold on...you mean us going in the ocean...like the girls?" Regan asked a bit uncertainly.  
"And indeed I will need to make the appropriate changes on you two as well." Krasus finished, looking at Regan and Riza in particular. "Although in the digimon's case, I will need to proceed with different spells, mainly water-breathing and better mobility in water. Shapechanging a digimon is something I have never attempted, and I would prefer not to do so at the moment."  
"Not that we'd complain about that..." Lizomon replied.  
"Also, Regan, take this." Krasus added, taking out something from inside his cloak : a small pendant made of a sturdy gold chain and a red gem held in its middle.  
"It will allow me to be able to communicate with you should it be needed." Krasus explained as Regan hesitantly put the pendant around his neck.  
"And Riza, take these as well. I have ensured that they will be water-proof too." Krasus added, handing something else to the shorter boy :  
Mega/Warp Digivolution cards...and Mode Change cards  
"Mega Digivolution cards and Mode Change cards?!? How did you managed to get these?!?" Riza asked, completely astonished.  
"I think it'd be better not to know how..." Regan muttered in Riza's ear.  
"Ah yes, about the transformation spells on you two." Krasus added, seemingly ignoring Riza's question. "Should a Bio-Merge is triggered the spells will adjust and change you back to human along with adding a water breathing spell. I doubt that attempting a Bio-Merge as a 'mer-being' is a wise thing to do..."  
"You didn't do that for the girls?" Impmon asked.  
"Sadly no. I did not had enough time to do so." Krasus answered.  
"Well...makes a bit of sense since you were surely in a hurry." Veemon pondered.  
"Anyway, we shouldn't forget these too." Lizomon said, picking something in the sand and throwing it at Gatomon and Impmon : their partners' digivices.  
"Are you ready then?" Krasus asked.  
"Well..." Regan started, feeling a bit uneasy about that... One look at Riza and Regan could easily see that he shared a similar expression...but they didn't had that much choices anyway...  
"We're ready..." Riza finished.  
"Very well. Stand still while I will begin my spellwork...  
And also...Good luck..." Krasus answered before starting to hold his hands toward the two boys and the digimon. He started to mutter under his breath as his hands began to glow...

---

"Gyaaaaahhh! What the hell's happening?!? I'm a fish?!?!?" Kylee yelled, waving her arms around.  
Indeed...she wasn't taking it too well...But Kari knew that she needed to calm down if they ever hoped to have some chances...  
Sighing, she raised a hand...before slapping Kylee in her face.  
Kylee stopped, eyes wide as she registered the slap on her face, holding a hand to her cheek. "W-Why did you do that for?!?" she asked.  
"So that would calm down..." Kari said with a more serious glance. She sighed again before her expression turned more worried. "We need to get some order if we'd ever think of having a chance to get back to normal." She explained.  
"Get back to normal? Kari, are you sure we can even be human again?!?" Kylee asked.  
"I'm really sure about that Kylee. I'm sure that Krasus could change us back to normal." Kari answered with a certain gaze.  
"Krasus?" Kylee asked confusedly.  
Kari then realized she had accidently let something slip up her mouth...  
Oh well, sooner or later, Krasus' name would have to be revealed to the Tamers...  
"Krasus is the Elder's real name." Kari explained. "And I think he could change us back."  
"What makes you so certain?" Kylee asked with some doubts, her tail slightly twitching.  
"Because I know that Krasus isn't only a really skilled wizard, but his real speciality is transformation magic.  
Heck, he might be the one that did that to us...probably to save us from that tidal wave..." Kari finished.  
Kylee remained silent for a while. What Kari said made a lot of sense. Maybe Krasus had indeed done that to save their lives...although Kylee hoped the wizard hadn't pulled some sort of weird prank...  
And considering Kari's suggestion...they didn't really had other choices or other ideas for now...  
"So...what now? If we want to go back to the beach...where should we go?" Kylee asked uncertainly.

---

Elsewhere, a bit deeper in the water, a small flash of light appeared before revealing out several figures floating in the water...which turned out to be multiple digimon...and two human forms...their upper halves that is...

Regan opened his eyes, feeling rather dizzy from the strange light caused by Krasus' spell only to feel something odd about his body...specifically to his legs...  
Already knowing what it would be, Regan started down...to see a red fish tail having replaced his legs. And clearly, Regan felt disturbed by that...  
"Ugh..." A moan distracted Regan as he looked toward the source, being an awakening Riza with a blue fish tail instead of legs. Regan saw him open his eyes, although they widened in surprise, then he looked down toward his own legs...to see they were gone. And he clearly looked even more surprised now.  
"Weird huh?" Regan simply asked sourly.  
Riza looked at him, although more specifically at the Digidestined's fish tail. "Yeah..."

"Come on guys, you don't look _that_ bad." A familiar voice interrupted...  
The two boys looked toward the speaker who was none other than Lizomon, floating serenely in the water, with a nasty smile on the face as he stared at the two boys.  
That only made Regan glare more at his partner. "Just cut it out. The sooner we start off, the sooner we're rid of these tails." He replied.

"Yeah, and that means the sooner we're out of the water and Kari back with us..." Gatomon added, looking a bit disturbed as well, although she clearly looked she wouldn't turn back. For her human partner, she would do anything...

"Hey, don't forget about Kylee!" Impmon interrupted.  
"Anyway...shouldn't we start up to go?" Veemon asked.  
"Yeah, but where?" Riza asked.

"_I can show you the way for now."_ Another voice, Krasus', echoed around them...but rather came from Regan...or rather the glowing red pendant he had around his neck.

A small beam then jutted out of the pendant, going a bit away and above them before starting to dissipate.

"Well...what are we waiting for?" Regan asked.

---

Elsewhere...at the surface of the ocean...everything was peaceful, undisturbed before two heads suddenly poured out of the water, looking around.

"Great...doesn't look like there's any mark around to tell us where to go..." Kylee said, annoyed.  
Kari only sighed worryingly. She knew, or expected well that chances of finding anything useful at the ocean's surface were rather dim. And unfortunately, there was indeed nothing around to help...

"Well...let's go back underwater...there's no point in staying at the surface anyway..." Kari said. A good point indeed, it was better to stay underwater right now. Being noticed by a boat might not be a good idea...

Reluctantly, both 'mergirls' returned underwater, tails trailing behind them. At least Kari had to admit that if Krasus had indeed been responsible for their transformation, he had done a good job to make sure they would be able to instinctively swim with the tails.  
"But now...what are we gonna do?" Kylee suddenly asked, stopping in her tracks. Her look clearly showed her worries about their situation...

To be honest with herself, Kari too wasn't feeling very well confident, but there was no doubt that if they decided to despair, they would have no chances of ever getting back to normal...So she had to keep up some hope, even if it could be faint.  
Hold on a minute...

"Currents..." Kari muttered.  
"Huh?" Kylee's worried face turned to confusion. "What do you mean?"  
"Underwater currents." Kari stated. "There are many currents and waves that go toward the mainland and beaches, so...if we were to be able to track one of these currents and follow it..."  
Kylee uncertainly rubbed the back of her head, her hair wildly floating in the water. "Well...how are we gonna find a current in the first place?" she asked.  
"I'm pretty sure that we could feel it somehow." Kari answered, thoughtful.  
"Yeah...and just how-" Kylee started, but then stopped, starting to feel something, and Kari too.

A...wind? Or rather something that seemed to feel like a wind breeze, but underwater?  
"_Of course...that's probably how we can perceive it..."_ Kari thought.  
"A current." Both girls then spoke.  
"Anyway, shall we go on?" Kari asked with a small smile.  
Kylee returned a more pleased smile.

Hopefully they would now have more luck to soon get out of that odd situation...

---

The two 'boys' and the digimon kept swimming for a while, trying to follow the directions Krasus had given them. But for the moment...

"Doesn't look like any of them are around, do they?" Lizomon asked, clearly mentioning the two girls.  
"Hey Krasus?" Regan asked, taking hold of the red pendant around his neck. "Do you have any better idea about where Kari and Kylee might be?"  
"_Sadly...I have nothing."_ The voice of Krasus answered rather darkly.  
"Nothing?" Riza asked worryingly.  
"Hey Krasus, I got an idea." Lizomon stated.  
"_Go on."_ the wizard's voice answered.  
"Basically, you're the one who made the spells on Kari and Kylee, so you should be able to track your spellwork, right?" Lizomon pondered.  
"_I will see to it."_ Krasus' voice answered. Then for a moment, everyone remained silent, waiting for a possible result from Krasus.  
"_I found them."_ Krasus added after a while. A small beam then came out of the pendant, arcing in another direction.  
"Alright! Let's hurry up!" Impmon yelled.

---

On the beach, the cloaked form of Krasus remained unmoving, staring at the large sea, the wizard's expression deep.  
"I must say...Thank you for your aid in this." Krasus suddenly spoke as he started to look to his right...where another figure cloaked in blue stood.  
"It is only natural to do so...These humans are important after all..." the other replied with a truly cold voice. "Another thing as well Krasus..."  
"Yes?" Krasus asked.  
"'They' will still be watching..." the blue cloaked man answered before slowly vanishing away.  
Krasus turned his gaze once again toward the seas, resuming his observations.  
"Of course I know that they would still do so..." he muttered to himself. "Now what only remains now is how the children will end this..."

---

It was slightly odd right now to 'follow' the underwater current, but still, the two 'mergirls' kept doing so. After all, now that they had a possibly good lead, they didn't planned on giving up now.  
"Hey Kari..." Kylee suddenly asked before stopping.  
Kari stopped before turning back to look at Kylee who looked worried. "What is it Kylee?"  
"Do...Do you think...we'll ever get back to normal?" Kylee asked.  
Kari bit her lip, knowing what made Kylee worried concerning that. Even so...  
"I'm pretty sure we'll get back to normal thanks to Krasus. Hey, if he's actually the one who did that on us, then there's probably no doubt he can reverse his own work, right?" she asked.  
Kylee started to smile, albeit hesitantly. "Yeah, that's probably right...Still..." she replied, pondering.  
"Still what?" Kari asked.  
"I wonder if that's so much of a bad experience...in being a mermaid..." Kylee ended, looking rather thoughtful, although Kari could notice a smile possibly forming on one edge of the blonde haired girl's mouth.  
Kari crossed her arms before holding her chin. "That's an interesting thought indeed..." she pondered. For some reason, she understood what Kylee could mean about that-

A cold suddenly took hold of her...the water all around her dropping in temperature...  
And from her looks, Kylee too looked like she felt the cold...  
"_No...it can't be..."_

And from the dark depths, many dark figures surged forth, surrounding the two girls. More Scubamons.

"Child of Light...please come with us...  
Now...you are more than able to...You are one like us now...you can join us with greater ease..." one of the Scubamons spoke.

"No!" Kari shouted...although fear was quickly gaining her. "I'll never want to join you! No matter how many times you ask, I don't want to!"

"Please...you _must_ do so..." the Scubamons replied before they started to close in on both Kari and Kylee.  
Both Kari and Kylee attempted to keep themselves away but the dark digimons kept nearing...

...until a multi-coloured energy blast suddenly went 'flying' out of nowhere and exploded unto one of the Scubamons, destroying it entirely.

"Strato Cannons!!!" a familiar voice yelled before more energy blasts went flying from the same direction, going for the Scubamons who were forced to pull back.

And from their right and slightly downward...came MetalRyumon, moving in the water as if he was flying in the air, which rather surprised the two girls...although Kari quickly thought of Krasus having clearly sent some rescue after them...

Although what really made her more uncertain...was the sight of Regan and Riza being along with the large digimon, along with Gatomon, Impmon and Veemon.  
And although the digimon looked normal...both boys clearly didn't...considering that their bodies ended with fish tails instead of legs...

"Yeah...Krasus..." Regan simply said, trying to look away from the two 'mergirls', with a clearly uncertain and possibly hesitant look. And Riza clearly looked as troubled as Regan.

"Woooow...that maybe nice looking eh girls?" Impmon said.  
Now both girls' faces flushed.  
"S-Shut up!!!" Kylee yelled.  
"Agreed." MetalRyumon suddenly replied. "Things really aren't that well right now..." he added before looking downward, soon imitated by everyone else...

All the Scubamons retreated downward, and Kari quickly noticed some sort of..._disturbance_ deeper in the water...

"Looks like some sort of portal..." Gatomon spoke.  
"It must lead to that Dark Ocean! That's where the Scubamons come from after all!" Veemon added.

"We warned you Child of Light...we tried to bring you to our world...but now it is too late...  
He is coming..." the voice of the Scubamons came from deeper in the water, close to the dark gateway...

"He?" Riza repeated.

In answer, the dark gateway flared before growing wider, as a massive dark form started to emerge out of it, which slowly revealed itself to be a massive dark blue digimon with many joined tentacles as limbs, a slightly squid-like face with a large maw, and a large reddish fin in its back.

"Dragomon…" MetalRyumon muttered darkly. "The one said to be the ruler of the Dark Ocean…"  
"That's the Scubamons' master?" Kylee asked.

"So…You are the one my pitiful servants sought as a new queen…" Dragomon rumbled with a deep voice eyeing the 'mer-kids', especially Kari. Then he glared fiercely toward the Scubamons, who only cowered before his gaze.  
"As for all of you, you will truly deserve punishment for this attempt at rebellion." The large digimon continued angrily at his servants.

"Stop it!" Kari yelled, moving a bit forward. "Why do you have to do this? Why do you have to be so evil at them? Surely you could find a better way to-"

"Hah!" Dragomon interrupted with a laugh. "You are truly foolish little one. The Scubamons are born and live only to serve me! They have no other rights and need nothing else! And any attempts from rebelling against my will shall be dealt with!

Still..." he continued, musing. "I think I am beginning to understand their unexpected interest in you, little one...You possess an unusual power...clearly something unusal...And it clearly was this power that attracted them to you...

In fact, why don't you join me? You could easily become my new queen, and thus rule along with me upon my great realm, and these servants' little desires of a queen will finally be fulfilled!" Dragomon continued, a wide ugly grin spreading on its face.

"...No...Never..." Kari answered nearly silently.

"...What did you say?" Dragomon asked, his grin fading, slowly turning into renewed anger.

"I'll never join you Dragomon. I don't want to be your queen, or the Scubamons'. You may ask that as many times you want, but I'll never join you!" Kari replied loudly, now glaring hard at the large sea digimon. "I would never want to be with someone who is so heartless and egoist as you!"

A growl slowly went out of Dragomon's throat as his eyes were narrowing... "If you do not wish to be with me...

Then you deserve nothing but death!" he replied before throwing foward one tentacle arm toward the 'mer-kids' and their digimon.

"Kari!" Gatomon shouted, throwing her digivice at her partner who quickly caught it. As soon as it reached Kari's hand, it began to glow...

"_Gatomon...warp digivolve to...Magnadramon!!!"_

And from a massive flash of light, a large pink furred dragon with eight pink glowing wings moved in front of the children, slamming Dragomon's tentacles with her right paw.

Dragomon retreated his tentacles as he eyed Magnadramon.  
"Well…let's just make them useful…" Dragomon muttered to himself.  
"Scubamons! If you do truly want your new queen, then capture her for me!" Dragomon ordered. The Scubamons all jolted before rushing toward Kari with a seemingly zealous fervour however Magnadramon quickly slapped them away with one swing of her long tail.

"Anyway, I think it's time for some heavier power now." MetalRyumon stated.  
"Agreed." Regan answered.

"Alright! So that means it's time for my return as the awesome Beelzemon!!!" Impmon said happily, having already handed Kylee's digivice back to her, along with the two cards.

"Anyway let's not lose any more time!" Kylee said as she prepared to swipe the card in her digivice.

"Digi-Modify! Mega Digivolution, activate!" both Tamers shouted, swiping their cards in their digivice.

"_Veemon, warp digivolve to...Imperialdramon!!!"_  
"_Impmon, warp digivolve to...Beelzemon!!!"_

"You too MetalRyumon!" Regan said.  
"Understood!" the metal dragon answered before glowing.

"_MetalRyumon, mega digivolve to...UltimaRyumon!!!"_

All four mega level digimon stood in front of their partners, glaring defiantly at Dragomon.

"So you keep insisting then? Tentacle Claw!" Dragomon yelled as he threw both arms toward the four digimon, sending his multiple tentacles foward.

"Strato Force!"  
"Double Impact!"  
"Positron Laser!"  
"Fire Tornado!"

All four attacks launched by the four megas went straight for Dragomon's. All struck together, creating a powerful flash which forced the kids and the digimon to shield their eyes…

…only to see after that Dragomon was unscathed…

"T-That's impossible!!!!" Regan said loudly, eyes wide.  
"He's supposed to be an Ultimate and he held up four attacks from _Megas_?" Riza asked, eyes wide as well, as much shocked as Regan, Kylee and Kari.

"Of course…" UltimaRyumon stated grimly. "Dragomon isn't an ordinary digimon…He is the lord of the Dark Ocean…and thus is a far more potent force than he might look like…"  
"Then this mean we'll need to throw in some stronger force!" Regan said, a crimson glow briefly shielding him of view before it faded away, revealing him back in human form, with his swimtrunks, before the flash emerged again, overlapping both Regan and UltimaRyumon who returned close to his partner.

"_Lizomon, bio-merge to…AtmaRyumon!!!"_

And from the red light, a yelling AtmaRyumon quickly charged out at Dragomon, sword and shield at the ready.

"If they can be stronger, then we can do more with our digimon too!" Kylee said.  
"And Magnadramon, you're ready?" Kari asked to her partner.  
"Hem...Kari?" Riza asked. "Krasus said to us that he's the one who changed both of you…and while he arranged that Regan could Bio-Merge…you can't…"  
"Oh…Then you two help Regan and Lizomon as best as you can…" Kari said.  
"What about you Kari?" Kylee asked.  
"We still need someone to watch our backs should one of these Scubamons would try a low move, right?" Kari said, Magnadramon slowly circling above her.  
"Alright then!" Kylee said. "Beelzemon, here we go! Digi-Modify! Mode Change, activate!"  
"Let's go for it too Imperialdramon! Digi-Modify! Mode Change, activate!"

"_Beelzemon, Mode Change to…Blast Mode!"  
"Imperialdramon, Mode Change to…Fighter Mode!"_

"Alright! Let's make out a sushi of this huge fish freak!" Beelzemon yelled, swiging his gun with sinister glee before charging down toward Dragomon.  
Imperialdramon quickly followed in, although showing a fierce gaze.

"Is he really always like this?" Kari asked with a certain doubtful gaze at Kylee.  
"Eh, Beelzemon?" Kylee asked, then only laughed rather uncertainly while bringing an arm behind her head. "Kinda, yeah."

"Thousand Waves!" Dragomon shouted before summoning a massive amount of waves from deep underwater and sending them at AtmaRyumon, who quickly brought up his shield in front of him, shouting "Atma's Protector!" and a large crimson force field surrounded him, completely protecting him from harm, although AtmaRyumon really felt being a bit shaken up in his shield.

Quickly dismissing his force shield, AtmaRyumon quickly hurried even faster at Dragomon before the large sea monster digimon flung one group of tentacles at AtmaRyumon who quickly 'flew' above them before going to Dragomon's right side.

"Positron Laster!"  
"Corona Blaster!"

The two beams went straight at Dragomon's face who pulled back slightly, grunting hard from the pain as an even uglier expression spread on his face.

With a loud growl, Dragomon quickly threw more tentacles toward Imperialdramon and Beelzemon, who quickly 'flew' sideways, each in a different direction..

"Positron Laser!" Imperialdramon shouted, pointing his cannon at Dragomon's left side.  
"Corona Blaster!" Beelzemon yelled, his large gun-arm aimed at Dragomon's right side.

Both shots aimed true and struck on each sides of Dragomon, creating many steaming bubbles around the large digimon.  
Beelzemon grinned at the result, before suddenly moving away as large tentacles poured out of the bubbles, going for him.

"Atma Blade!" Suddenly, the tentacles twitched, before Beelzemon noticed AtmaRyumon having come out below to slash at the tentacles.  
"No need to thank me." AtmaRyumon simply said before charging at Dragomon who had focused his gaze.

Imperialdramon on the other hand, obviously was the focus of Dragomon's ire, as the large sea digimon was glaring fiercely at him. The winged digimon quickly moved sideways to evade a series of tentacles before swinging his long wristblades on his left arm at the tentacles causing Dragomon to retreat them. Quickly after this, Imperialdramon aimed his right arm's cannon at the sea digimon, yelling "Positron Laser!" before firing up one large beam at Dragomon, who was struck once more.

And yet despite all of this, Dragomon kept throwing attacks left and right at them, seemingly unharmed.

Magnadramon kept growling as she swung her tail around, slapping away some Scuabmon who tried to sneak in closer to Kari, acting extremely protective of the other three 'mer-kids'.

"_There's just no end to this!"_

Within the core of AtmaRyumon, in its Digital Matrix, Regan wondered, extremely worried.

"_No matter how much we strike at Dragomon, he doesn't seem to be harmed! It's nearly like if we're shooting blanks!"_ Regan said, starting to lose his cool.  
"_True…something is clearly odd. I knew Dragomon is a powerful digimon, but to be able to take on so many blasts…"_ Lizomon's voice answered, keeping the obvious calm a trained warrior would have. "_He might have something powering him up…"_ the dragon digimon then suggested.

And AtmaRyumon looked down.  
At the ocean's deeps…where the dark gate from where Dragomon had come through.

"_**Of course!"**_ both Lizomon and Regan echoed within AtmaRyumon.  
"_That portal! We got to seal it! But how?"_ Regan asked.

Farther upward, above the ocean…  
And hiding among the clouds…  
Beating his large wings…

_He_ watched…  
"It is all coming to fruition sssoon…" _He_ spoke, letting out a long hiss in the end…

---

"_With Dragomon still trying to hammer out at us, there's no way we can seal that portal Regan! We'll have to send him back in it!"_ Lizomon stated.  
"_And just how the hell are we going to do this?!?!?"_

A yell suddenly interrupted their train of thoughts as Imperialdramon was suddenly struck by one of Dragomon's tentacles, and the large sea digimon didn't wasted time hammering Imperialdramon's chest with even more tentacles.

"No, Imperialdramon!" Beelzemon yelled, starting to go for the other, quickly followd by AtmaRyumon who suddenly tightened his hold on his sword, focusing hard on it. It then started to glow of a large crimson and white fire before AtmaRyumon threw it at Dragomon's tentacles like a disk.

The spinning sword struck the tentacles, even cutting them, which caused Dragomon to roar in pain and anger as he retreated what remained of them, however the damage had already been done on Imperialdramon as he started to glow and reverted to a damaged Veemon.

"Veemon!!!" Riza yelled, starting to quickly swim after his wounded partner. Kylee tried to go after him too, but Kari quickly held her back

"Damnit!" Beelzemon cursed as AtmaRyumon caught back his sword, although the dragon knight digimon's gaze wasn't on Veemon or Riza…but rather at Dragomon who started to show a clearly ugly grin before the cut tentacles started to grow dark at the ends…before they completely regenerated on their own.

"_How's that possible?"_ Regan said in shock and fear within AtmaRyumon.  
"_Probably Dragomon's proximity to his own realm make him drastically stronger."_ Lizomon answered, still sounding calm.  
"_But…how are we gonna be able to fight him?"_ Regan asked.  
"_Because we must."_ Lizomon answered straightly. "_We are the others' shield and sword. We are what stands between our friends and grave danger for them, and since we __**can**__ do something…it behoves us to do so…_

Do you understand?" Lizomon added grimly, sounding even more serious than before.  
Regan remained silent, and worried…then tightened one fist…  
"_So we must keep fighting…because we might be their only hope."_  
" '_A sword and a shield are only as strong as the true determination that are holding them', Regan Astrasz.  
So…is your determination to protecting your friends true?"_ Lizomon spoke again.  
"_It will…__**It must**__!!!_" Regan replied, his fist even more tightened.

And with a sudden yell, AtmaRyumon charged once more at Dragomon, hurrying even faster, sword blazing with crimson and white flames.

And before Dragomon could reach, AtmaRyumon swung his sword straight in the sea digimon's face, leaving out a long gash, and causing yet another grunt of pain from the monstrous enemy.

And although the wound could be seen closing itself, albeit quite slowly, it still remained, even if only for a while.

"_Stay true to your heart, Child of Life!"_ Lizomon yelled to Regan within AtmaRyumon. "_Remember that the power we received came with a cost, and we must never stray away, and always remain true to what was passed on to us!!!_

After all Regan…

In what do _**you**__ believe?"_ Lizomon asked again.

"_I believe…  
In our potential!!!_

Together, we can do anything!!!" Regan replied.

And with another yell, AtmaRyumon swung again at Dragomon, striking hard on the sea digimon's flesh, leaving yet another gash.

And with a loud angered roar, Dragomon was quick to counterattack once more…

"Veemon, hold on!" Riza said, closing on his digimon.  
"Uhhh…Riza?" Veemon asked weakly as he saw his partner near him. "Sorry, I wasn't strong enough to really help..."  
"No Veemon! Don't belive that! You did great!" Riza said, trying to sound pleased, but wasn't really succeeding.  
"Heh...Riza...you're lying..." Veemon started with a slow smirk.  
"Huh?"  
"I know you're worried, but you're trying to make things better...and that's what so funny..." Veemon answered.  
"Well...yeah..." Riza admitted, looking aside in the emptiness of the ocean which weren't occupied by the struggles between Dragomon, AtmaRyumon and Beelzemon. "But...I would want...would hope that you, that you could have done better...

Sometimes...I just wish I could really help you more than that..." Riza added.  
"I know...but I also want you to be safe Riza..." Veemon added. "I know you can be careless sometimes, and I want to protect you, to help you...

To do what I failed to do...

...with your dad..."

These last words crushed hard in the mind of Riza. He remained almost shocked for a moment, forgettting completely everything around him and Veemon.

"I'm sorry Riza..." Veemon said. "I'm not even strong enough to protect you from Dragomon..." Veemon said, discouraged.  
"No Veemon..._I_ wasn't strong enough as your Tamer..." Riza replied, heart-broken.

"_There are many ways to grow stronger...working together to better cover the weaknesses of each and thus reinforcing the strengths..."_ a voice suddenly whispered in their thoughts, as if it had been part of their minds.

"Stronger?" Riza muttered. "How could we be stronger together?"  
"Riza...do you think we could be stronger...together?" Veemon asked weakly.  
"Maybe..." Riza answered and turned silent. "Veemon? I would want to help you."  
"Huh? What? But you could get injured!" Veemon suddenly replied, eyes opened as he looked worryingly at his Tamer.  
"Please Veemon! I want to help you! I'm sure we could do something together to help everyone!  
So come on, let's try to do something together!!!"

Only then did Riza barely noticed his D-Arc had started beeping...and that he and Veemon were glowing...

...before the next thing he felt was his fish tail seperating back in legs...

And now he remembered that Krasus had made mention about one thing should their tails turn back into legs...  
But all thoughts on that were soon overwhelmed by a massive flash of light that submerged him and his partner.

"Riza!" Kylee yelled, seeing her friend and Veemon suddenly engulfed in a blast of light.  
Everyone stopped fighting, seeing the strange light that suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"_That light...Lizomon...could that be?"_ Regan asked from within AtmaRyumon.  
"_Yes..."_ Lizomon answered.

"Huh?" Kari thought as she gazed at the light...which felt quite familiar to her... "_How's that possible?"_

---

As _he_ contiuned to watch, his senses picked up the tell-tale trace of what he sought...

"_So...it is happening at last..."_

---

Everyone continued staring at the light before a voice yelled...

"_Veemon..._

...Bio-Merge to...

...AmaKaisermon!!!"

And the light finally exploded, breifly causing everyone to shield their eyes before they were finally able to look at the source of it...

A tall humanoid digimon that stood as tall as Imperialdramon Fighter Mode. Although like Imperialdramon, he was clad in armor, the similarities started to end there. His armor covered him from head to toe, leaving nothing exposed. The armor's gauntlets, upper arms and upper legs were all colored of a sky blue color while the lower arms, and legs were colored of a graying cloudy white. The chest part of the armor was colored of a darker blue, although two large whitish bands were crossing across the chest in an 'X' mark, going behind as well. At the center of the 'X' on the digimon's chest, there was a large golden orb imbedded in the armor.

The armored head was colored sky blue as well, although red eyes peered out from two holes in the helmet. A pair of small whitish horns pointing upward also decorated the side of the helmet, marking the place where there would normally be ears.

Along with that, a long flowing white cape was hung from the digimon's back, although the digimon also had a massive wingspan of two sky blue draconic wings.

And...in all of this...the digimon held one long distinctive sword in his right hand. A mostly white sword although with some blue marks on it, but especially a series of golden writings on its blade...

"_The Omni Sword..."_ Lizomon muttered within AtmaRyumon.  
"_Huh? What do you mean?"_ Regan asked.  
"_Regan...that digimon...he is holding the Omni Sword! A weapon said to be made from Omnimon's data! One of the most powerful weapons in all the Digital World!"_  
"_No way!!!"_

---

"_Huh? What...what happened?"  
"Riza? Is that you? What are you doing inside me?"  
"Huh? I thought you were the one inside me Veemon."  
"Hold on a minute...the body...it feels completely different! I don't even feel wounded anymore! I feel stronger than ever, even without that sword in my hand...and it's the Omni Sword!!!"  
"Could we have...Bio-Merged?"  
"I think we did...and it feels awesome!"  
"You're right! Now let's go deal with a big sea monster that has been harming our friends for too long now!"  
"Let's do it!"_

---

The digimon suddenly let out a wild yell before chargin down toward Dragomon with quick speed. Dragomon quickly brought up his tentacles as AmaKaisermon raised his sword...and struck through the tentacles...

Dragomon's roar of pain and anger quickly snapped everyone back into the situation.  
"Take that!" AmaKaisermon said at the wounded Dragomon.

But as quickly as the tentacles were cut, they regenerated before the sea digimon quickly threw them toward AmaKaisermon...only to be blocked by a speeding AtmaRyumon who brought himself in front of AmaKaisermon, blocking the tentacles with his shield.

"That's a nice move, but we'll need to do better than that to beat him..." AtmaRyumon said.  
AmaKaisermon nodded before gazing down...toward the dark gateway from where Dragomon had came forth.

"The gateway! Let's send him back where he belongs!" AmaKaisermon said.  
AtmaRyumon looked down breifly before nodding. "Good idea! Thinking of a way to do it though?" the dragon knight asked.

In answer, AmaKaisermon flapped his immense wings back, pushihng himself backward, positionning himself directing far above the dark gateway, and in the middle of the underwater battlefield.

"Beelzemon, Magnadramon! Quickly get your partners, because it's going to get rough soon!" AmaKaisermon yelled.  
Not wanting to loose time to ask what the winged digimon knight had in mind, Beelzemon hurried toward Kylee as Magnadramon started to grab Kari tightly.

AmaKaisermon then held his sword high, preparing himself...

"Oh no you won't! Dragomon yelled. "Scubamons, stop him!"  
All the Scubamons quickly charged to go at AmaKaisermon.

"Sky Spinning Lance!" AmaKaisermon yelled before starting to spin on himself faster and faster, starting to create large currents around him...before he suddenly burst toward the surface, breaking through it before going high in the air, still spinning...and then came falling down toward the sea...

He struck the surface with a loud bang before penetrating inside, spreading out torrents of wind as the water all around him was completely pushed away, forming a large whirlpool in the ocean. A whirlpool with the dark gateway at its base, which dragged all Scubamons in it as they fell in the currents while Magnadramon and Beelzemon, still holding their 'mer-partners' kept hovering in the air, along with AtmaRyumon and AmaKaisermon, the two Bio-Merged digimon knights.

However, if all the Scubamons were going down, dragged back into the dark gate...only Dragomon remained, fighting the currents to stand.

"Well...he's quite insistant..." AtmaRyumon started.  
"Let's show him what we really mean!" AmaKaisermon finished.

Then both flew to 'stand' aside each other in the air before holding their swords tight.  
They looked at each other with a determined nod before letting out a loud yell and charging down on Dragomon.

And with spending most of his strength fighting the whirlpool's currents, Dragomon could barely do a thing to attempt to block against the incoming attacks...

"Atma Blade!"  
"Omni Sword!"

Both knights shouted as they swung down their sword on Dragomon, striking him with huge force, causing him to plummet down in the large whirlpool, roaring as he finally fell into the dark gate, which started to collapse and vanish.

"You guys did it! You're the bests!" Kylee yelled from Beelzemon's grasp.

AmaKaisermon turned at her and started chuckling a bit hesitantly, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand.  
"Yep...it's still the same Riza inside." AtmaRyumon said with a more mocking chuckle. "Still as shy as ever with his 'girlfriend'."  
AmaKaisermon's eyes turned wide before he turned toward the dragon knight digimon, steaming with anger. "Cut it out with that!" he yelled angrily.  
AtmaRyumon only chuckled in his own way before looking a bit more skyward...before noticing the hint of some unknown large winged form fleeing the area, partly hiding in the clouds as it went away.

"_So...he was there..."_ Regan thought within AtmaRyumon.

---

And it was with more relief that they all returned back to the beach, were Krasus had clearly been waiting for them all along, looking a bit impressed as he saw Riza and Veemon's Bio-Merged form.

However, Regan's relief (along with Riza's) turned to surprise and shock when the girls told they didn't wanted to be changed back…'at least not yet'

And along with that, Regan just felt too tired from the fight to really be able to argue with the 'mer-girls'…although he clearly wasn't approving that…even if surprisingly, Krasus didn't brought up some sort of objection (Regan had actually hoped that Krasus would have put up one).

But for the moment, all four of them were lying down in the sand, the water gently splashing against their feet…or tails…

And in the meantime, the digimon were resting a bit further up on the beach, although Regan was definitively certain that some of them were keeping a careful watch.  
Krasus in the meantime had 'gone away' to verify about that dark gate the Scubamons and Dragomon had used to come.  
Although Riza and Kylee had been wondering how exactly Krasus would be able to check that, Regan could easily expect how. A wizard can have tons of tricks up his sleeves after all…especially one like Krasus.

Regan let out a long sigh, eyes half closed.  
"Peaceful, ain't it Regan?" Kari asked. She layed on her side, looking toward him. Regan turned his head slightly toward her, showing a certain dissaprouvement.  
"Well, it ain't completely peaceful in my mind because _some persons_ have decided to make a really weird choice." Regan replied.

Kari only giggled at that, bring herself on her back before pushing herself to a sitting position.  
"Aw come on Regan, it ain't that bad. You would have really needed to try it out more." Kari said with another giggle. "Right Kylee?"  
"Yup! Sure Riza, you'd be agreeing with us, right?" Kylee said, showing a smile at Riza, who only started to look more hesitant, clearly reacting a bit 'too well' to the 'mer-girls's' 'flirting'…

Regan let out another tired sigh, knowing that in the recesses of his mind, he could feel Lizomon's amusement of this situation.  
He could swear that whatever spell Krasus used to change Kari and Kylee into mermaids, it probably didn't just made changes to their bodies, but probably something in their minds too.

Kari then started to look thoughtful, then looked toward the digimon. "Hey Lizomon? Do you know if Krasus' water-breathing spells are still active?" she shouted at the dragon digimon.  
"Yeah they are." Lizomon yelled back. "After all, Krasus didn't wanted that something bad might happen to you guys while he's away."  
"It's fairly obvious we wouldn't want something like that repeat itself…" Gatomon commented.

"Good!" Kari said with a wide smile.  
And before Regan could react, he grabbed one of his foot.

"Hey! What are you-" he started, raising his head.

But Kari quickly pushed herself in the water, dragging Regan along and cutting short his protests.

And one quick look from what the Tamers saw, Riza started to go away, but unfortunately, the blonde haired mermaid quickly imitated Kari's action with Riza, also dragging him underwater.

And seeing that, Veemon sighed. "Lizomon, you really had to say yes?"  
"Of course." Lizomon answered, showing a side smile. "After all, the spells are still working…and I could easily guess the girls wanted to have some fun…" he finished, a larger smile showing up in the end.

"Although I doubt that neither of them might like that…" Gatomon stated.  
"Heh…" Lizomon chuckled, then rose to his feet. "I ain't gonna miss that." And he quickly ran up to the water before leaping and made a spin in the air before dropping in the water like a small missle.  
"Showoff…" Impmon muttered as he saw Lizomon's dive.

"Come on Regan! Underwater can be really fun and beautiful." Kari said, smiling as she swam around in the water, circling multiple times around a grumbling (and slightly blushing) Regan who kept his arms crossed underwater.

Kylee only giggled at that, keeping herself at a close proximity to Riza, who was only blushing at the sight of Kylee and of her constant 'flirtings'.

"Kari Kamiya…might I remind you that right now, you are a _mermaid_?" Regan started, trying a certain amount of reasoning. "So right now, it's fairly obvious you like the sea, being a sea creature and all…  
however, it doesn't mean that _I_ like the sea like you do right now…"

"Oh…but there isn't only the sea that I like…" Kari said on a more stranger tone, one she would have probably been rarely using, as she approached Regan from front, and brought herself quite close to Regan, their face getting close as she brought up a finger to 'hold' Regan's chin.

To that, Regan only partly looked away, blushing more.

"Kari's right. There can be some interesting things that we like that aren't normally in the sea…" Kylee said as she swam very close to Riza, slightly rubbing her fin on Riza's back. The 'poor' boy only blushed more, his face rather turning like a tomato.

Lizomon only snickered as he watched, unable to hold his grins.

"_Regan? Lizomon? May I talk to you alone please?"_ the voice of Krasus suddenly intruded in everyone's heads.

Hearing that, Lizomon only frowned in clear displeasure. "Aww, shucks."  
Although Regan let out a long sigh of obvious relief before smiling a bit darkly at Kari. "Sorry, but 'duty calls' I guess."  
Kari only pouted.

"Anyway, keep yourself busy Riza!" Regan said as he started to swim out of the water, followed by Lizomon.

"A-As if I wasn't…" Riza muttered, stammering while blushing.

Pulling himself out of the water, Regan looked toward Krasus who was clearly waiting, then made a gesture with a hand, pointing further away from them as he started to walk in the pointed direction. Clearly, there was something serious he wanted to talk about…

Regan and Lizomon briefly looked at each other before shrugging and following the cloaked wizard. Once they got enough away, Krasus looked at them, obviously preparing what he was going to say.

"I have verified whatever remained of the portal's energies, and I have ensured that they will not be able to open another one, giving that with the previous portal's sudden crashing end, it would doubtly be wise for Dragomon to re-open another one." Krasus said.

"Now that's good news…" Lizomon said with a nod.  
"Anyway Krasus." Regan interrupted. "What about the girls? Can't you just change them back to normal now?!?" he asked, looking exasperated.  
"Is there a problem with their transformation?" Krasus asked, his head slightly tilting to the side.  
"Well, I think there's one!" Regan replied a bit angrily. "Krasus, did that spell you did on the girls changed only their bodies, or could it have done 'something' to their minds as well?"  
"Well…I suppose we may not push away the possibility that my mermaid transformation spell could change not only the subject's body, but make possible minor changes in the mind as well." Krasus answered.  
"'Minor changes'?!?!?" Regan repeated, one eye twitching. "They're flirting with us!!!"  
"And is that so much of a problem? At the age you currently are, young teenagers may start to go through some changes, both physically and mentally. Surely you too must have been having those changes sooner or later as well." Krasus replied quite calmly and surprisingly casually.  
"Well…I don't think that's exactly a normal change when it's all of a sudden!" Regan replied angrily.

Lizomon only let out a annoyed sigh as he saw his partner and Krasus argue (Krasus remaining calm though).

"Even so, there is something more important I have to notify to both of you, rather than continuing on such petty discussions for the moment." Krasus started, having waved his hand at the same time…probably to have made a sound shield, Lizomon suspected. Krasus now wanted to tell something _really_ important.

Regan only sighed angrily. "Okay, so what is it?"

"I have the results of the blood analysis." Krasus answered…although not completely a truly trusting tone…  
That sparked up the curiosity and the worriness of Regan and Lizomon. Something clearly was wrong.  
"What is it?" Regan asked, sounding worried. "Something wrong with me…or Kari?" he asked.  
"_How odd…"_ Lizomon thought. "_Moments sooner, he was actually rather not appreciating being around Kari…and yet now he clearly worries about her…  
Boys…No doubt girls can really make them go crazy…"_

"No." Krasus answered. "In fact, the extraction process continues to go well for both of you two Digidestined. In fact, that 'pseudo-Digivolution' both of you experienced seemed to have helped improve things.

However…there is something else…

The blood of Kylee and Riza have been contaminated…by their digimon's own data, and samples of yours and Kari's.

Regan's look turned to clear despair. Lizomon too lost a good part of his composure, knowing very well that what Krasus has just said was good as announcing a death sentence on the two Tamers…

"You can't be serious!" Regan asked. "How did that happened?"  
"When you fought MetalPhantomon. Krasus answered. "The attack that struck everyone of you did no true harm but minor cuts, however these cuts allowed contamination to spread out.

Fortunately, there is a way to cure them." Krasus added.  
"I knew it!" Lizomon said. "If there was anyone who would know a way to quickly cure them before its too late, it had to be you Krasus! After all, you're the one who made Bio-Modify being possible."

"Not that I take much pride in it Lizomon…" Krasus replied, not sounding pleased. "There is a problem about the cure. One use of it will completely cleanse the Tamers' bodies of the digimon data, thus saving them.  
The problem though, is that the cure…is Bio-Merge." Krasus added.

Regan's face turned to shock…but it soon turned to anger.  
"Krasus…you damn…dirty bastard…" Regan muttered, cursing and glaring hard at Krasus.  
"You set this up, didn't you? You probably knew there was going to be a serious problem here, so you wanted that we were here so to give a chance for one of the Tamers to get a Bio-Merge!" Regan yelled, pointing at Krasus.  
"Regan…" Lizomon muttered, sounding worried.

"I did what I had to do to save their lives." Krasus answered, starting to glare too at Regan. "It was my fault if they were infected, and thus I had to plan a way to save them…Even so, it is not over.  
Only Riza Ryuzaki has been saved now. Kylee Henke still remains." Krasus added.

That started to calm down Regan a bit, but still, it was obvious he now held some hate toward Krasus. "Even then…who knows what would have happened if it didn't worked?"  
"Risk is a part of things Regan Astrasz. I know very well about taking immense risks, much more than you can possibly imagine." Krasus replied, showing a truly deep and unusual gaze. One that showed a massive depth of experience and knowledge...

...and undoubtedly of experiences of pain...

Regan held up Krasus' gaze for a while...before looking away...and his expression finally returned to a more worried one.  
"Still...what about Kylee?" he asked.  
"Normally, they would have at least two days before they would no longer be themselves...but the transformation is bringing out a certain delay to Kylee...thus a reason why I did not oppose myself to giving them back their original form yet.  
We cannot keep her as a mermaid as long as it would be needed, she would surely oppose herself to that." Krasus answered.  
"So that explains it..." Regan muttered. "Alright...looks like once again, you had been planning things a long way once more...

But now...got any idea how you'll do it for Kylee?" Regan asked, starting to look back toward the beach, seeing Riza getting out of the water rather quickly before seeing Kylee bringing her head out of the water, surely pouting. A laugh that clearly belonged to Impmon could be heard from their position.

"Only time will tell Regan Astrasz.  
But in the meantime, it may be better not to tell the Tamers about this.  
But also, Regan, there is one little thing I would like you and Lizomon to do with Riza and Veemon." Krasus replied.  
"And that is?" Lizomon asked.  
"Train them in their Bio-Merge state." Krasus answered. "It is true that they have no achieved a new level of strength, but still, they are little experienced in the ways of fighting in Bio-Merge.  
Considering that for the moment, you are the only two who can Bio-Merge, it would only be appropriate that you do so for them."  
"Why not?" Regan pondered then grinned. "Besides, I'm sure Riza would really like to do something else than hang out with the 'mer-girls' right now..."  
Staring toward the beach, Krasus paused as he looked at a slightly panicked and blushing-a-lot Riza...before showing a slight smile.  
"Of that I wholly agree." He replied with a lighter tone.

---

"Hey Riza!" Regan said as he neared back to the beach, Lizomon and Krasus in tow.  
"What's the matter now Regan? You look rather happy. Is Krasus going to change Kylee and Kari soon?" Riza asked.  
"I have no idea about that...but I do have an idea for doing something else then just staying near them." Regan said, slightly nearing Riza to speak in a more conspiring way.  
"And what is it?" Riza asked.  
"Train you in your Bio-Merge!" Regan said.  
"What?!?" Veemon asked as he approached. "Why do that? We're strong, right?"  
"Heh..." Lizomon said, eyes closed and showing a confident grin. "You should leave that to the real fighting master to decide that, kiddo.

We'll do just a mock fight, no need for special attacks, just with the whole body and normal weapons. That's the better way to really fight." He added.  
"Well..." Riza started.  
"You got something else in mind to do? If not, then I'm sure we could go back in the water with the girls." Regan replied with a small grin.  
Not only did Riza's cheeks started to turn a bit red, but other parts of his face started to turn a little more whitish...  
"Okay..." he answered.

"_Clever words Regan..."_ Krasus thought as he observed them.

---

"I hope you're ready..." AtmaRyumon stated as he stood on the beach, sword and shield at the ready. Both Impmon and Gatomon stood further away to watch while the 'mer-girls' were lying in the shallow water to watch the fight.  
AmaKaisermon nodded, although inside, Riza was still a bit worried.  
He still remembered the fights of ExVeemon against Ryumon and Paildramon against MetalRyumon...

"Let's do it!" AtmaRyumon yelled as he suddenly charged at AmaKaisermon. As he neared, he quickly swung his sword.  
AmaKaisermon quickly reacted, bringing out his sword to parry the blow. "Hey! I thought this wouldn't be a real battle!" he said, a bit worried seeing how quickly AtmaRyumon attacked and didn't look like he would be holding up.  
"Nope it ain't!" AtmaRyumon replied, struggling against AmaKaisermon's Omni Sword. "But that's what a _real_ training should be!" he replied before quickly pulling back, showing his great agility despite wearing armor and holding both a sword and shield. With another yell, he charged at AmaKaisermon, before starting to go on the side, but the other digimon quickly opened his wings, taking out to the skies.  
"Don't think you can run away!" AtmaRyumon replied, quickly following up his opponent in the air with his four wings. He quickly reached up to AmaKaisermon and their swords once again met.

However, it didn't took long before AtmaRyumon suddenly brought up a knee and struck AmaKaisermon in the stomach. Even with his armor, AmaKaisermon still felt a hard blow from it. AtmaRyumon really wasn't holding back...

And he got another proof of that as he received a full punch straight in the face, stunned and crashing down in the water.

"Come on shorty! You can do better than that!" Kylee yelled.  
"Go for it Regan! You and Lizomon can really show him who's the expert!" Kari cheered.

AmaKaisermon was rather stunned, yet still anger stormed out of him hearing the word 'shorty'.  
"You're gonna be okay?" AtmaRyumon asked as he hovered down near AmaKaisermon in the water and handing down a free hand to help the other lift himself up.  
"Yeah...I'll be okay..." AmaKaisermon replied before taking AtmaRyumon's hand...

...and throwing him in the water before he started to laugh.

"Hah! Now how's the expert react to that eh?" AmaKaisermon asked, laughing.  
"Oh...so now you wanna do it that way eh? Okay then...the brawl's fully on!" AtmaRyumon said in the water before flinging himself straight at AmaKaisermon with a loud roar before making another swing with his sword, which got parried again, quickly followed by a strike from all side by all four of his wings, and finished up by throwing yet another punch in poor AmaKaisermon's face.

As AmaKaisermon crashed on the ground, he raised himself before shaking his head.  
"Come on Riza! Show me what you can really do! Or did that fight with Dragomon was only a dumb beginner's luck?" AtmaRyumon asked with a sly grin.

Farther behind, Krasus kept watching as he saw AmaKaisermon leaping out from the sand and going for AtmaRyumon, their blades meeting up before he quickly retreated back and flapped his wings extremely hard, sending out a wide and powerful blast of air at AtmaRyumon before rushing forward and giving out a punch of his own in AtmaRyumon's face, although the dragon digimon quickly recovered and prepared to counterattack.

They were doing fine. And honestly, it was a really good thing they were proceeding that way...

"Well...it looks like it is solved with one...what about the other one?" a cold voice asked from behind Krasus : The blue cloaked 'stranger'.  
Krasus didn't even turned back to look at the other one. "We will see what tomorrow holds for all of us.

But still...I thank you for having dealt with creating this dimensional fragility so that Dragomon and the Scubamons could come." Krasus answered.  
"It was no problem...And of course, we quickly restabilized the dimensional barriers after Dragomon was sent back to his world."  
"Thank you again...Lord Malygos...The Spellwaver..." Krasus said.  
The blue cloaked stranger called 'Malygos' let out a cold wry chuckle and made him sound rather suspicious. "Well...if it wasn't from Ysera that insisted on that detail, it is doubtful I would have truly helped...  
Still...you do not need to call me by such title...It is not my true name after all...like that name of yours...Krasus isn't it?" the blue cloaked one said.  
"Indeed..." Krasus answered. "Still...I believe I should show respect to such a mighty one like you, for having been willing to aid me."  
"The debt I have to you is quite immense after all...If it wasn't for you...I would still be in an empty cavern of ice...locked in my own madness..." 'Malygos' replied before vanishing away, leaving out no traces.

"Indeed...Indeed so...Great One..." Krasus muttered.

---

Although, in a sense, Kari felt she had a lot of fun having been a mermaid, she started to have second thoughts about having been one for so long...

Considering that right now, she really felt out of balance on her legs, having troubles to stand up even in the apartment.

"_Okay...maybe I really shouldn't have been a mermaid for so long..."_ Kari thought with a slightly hesitant smile as she held a hand to a nearby wall to help keep her balance, obviously trying to stand correctly again.

She let go of the wall, successfully standing on her legs.  
"Whew...not so bad after-" Kari thought as she started to walk, but her thoughts were quickly cut off as she once again started to lose her balance, and the sight of the floor started to approach...

And a gloved hand quickly caught up on of her arms, causing Kari to slip on the side, and fall on her 'pride'.

"Heh...not so good in walking again eh Kari?" Regan asked with a smirk as he looked at Kari on the floor.

She chuckled hesitantly, her arm still held by Regan. "Yeah...maybe so...  
Would you uhm...mind helping me get back up?" she asked a bit hesitantly.  
"Sure." Regan replied casually before lifting Kari up and she finally started to stand up normally again.  
"Thanks Regan." She replied, and started to turn to go for the main window...

...but Regan didn't let go of her arm.

"Hem...Regan?" Kari asked a bit hesitantly as she looked at her still held arm.

Instead Regan pulled Kari closer to himself, grabbing her other arm and forcing her closer to him.

"You know Kari...I got a question for you..." Regan asked with a slightly sinister grin.  
"Hem...what is it?" Kari asked, a slight blush coming on her face.  
"Do you find me cute?" Regan asked.  
Now Kari's eyes started to open more and her face started to redden even more. "H-Hem...w-well...a-ac-tually...hem..." she started, completely stammering and mixing herself up in her words, only to blush even more.

"Hey, I'm sure I must be a cute boy, right Kari? I'm sure you must have found me a quite attractive one. You did seem to be interested in me a 'while earlier'..." Regan spoke, still grinning rather sinisterly.

"Hum...well..." Kari said, looking a bit aside, still blushing.  
"Come on Kari...you can say it...

Heck...you could even say...

'I love you Regan'..." Regan added.

Now her face turned completely red and she remained frozen, her mouth wide open.  
Only then did Regan let go of her and started to turn away.

"So...did you liked that taste of your own 'medicine'?" Regan asked with a smirk. "Man...Lizomon, those tricks you told me were really awesome!" Regan said more loudly.  
"No problem Regan!" Lizomon replied loudly from the bedroom.

"W-W-Wait a minute!!! W-W Where you bluffing with me? You were...flirting with me?" Kari asked loudly, flailing her arms a bit as she looked completely in shock and confusion.

Regan looked at her before starting to laugh, holding his side.  
"Yep! That's it!" Lizomon said as he came in.

"Regan! That's not funny!" Kari said, her fists tightening in anger, and yet still in shock as her face still remained red.

"Oh sure! You think I had been liking it eh?" Regan asked, wiping off a tear from his face. "Man...Your look was so priceless!" Regan said, still trying not to laugh even more. "Too bad we didn't manage to get something from that."

"I wouldn't say that..." Lizomon said as he showed up...Kari's camera in his paws.  
"H-How did you got it?" Kari asked.  
"I kinda helped..." Gatomon replied, showing a slight smile as she was leaning up against a wall farther away.  
"G-Gatomon?!? Why?" Kari asked, looking confused, having discovered her partner had even 'back-stabbed' her.  
"Well...I had to say...that look on your face was priceless Kari..." Gatomon replied.

"Owwww...don't you guys ever do that again!!!" Kari yelled in anger.

That only caused Regan and Lizomon to laugh again.

"_Seriously though Lizomon...you really took pictures about it?  
I'm not really sure I'd like you to have these..."  
"Oh really eh?"  
"...You did took some...right?"  
"Yup!  
They could make awesome blackmails, you know?"  
"..."_

---

As Krasus had of course re-arranged everything with the girls and all the other details, he had returned to his underground hideout, sitting in his large stone 'throne', pondering yet again.

The aid of the 'others' had been of great use for that first case...but Krasus rather had some doubts about repeating that, in a different way even.

He raised up from his throne, going for his instruments on a nearby table, thinking about new ways to detect any other possible dimensional incursions.  
Maybe some newer ones might have escaped his current spells...

A sudden and massive wave of vertigo and headache suddenly struck Krasus, causing him to nearly topple over the table, but he managed not to fall, by miracle.

On the table, several of the instruments started to glow wildly and even make screeching sounds, painful to hear.

Krasus gritted his teeth, fighting off the sudden reaction before rising up and glaring hard toward all of his instruments that were going 'haywire', focusing his powerful mind on them...  
And it didn't took long before they all 'calmed down'. Krasus brought his hands on the table, leaning a bit as he stared at his instruments.  
Although Krasus had been using instruments to verify dimensional incursions, his true ways of detection had been a truly efficient array of spells he had established...

And once again, those spells had proven their usefulness...  
Krasus stared harder at his instruments...although his focus went inward...in what he had felt...

There was no mistaking it...

He then took out a small red crystal out of his robes before holding it tightly.

"Regan Astrasz, Kari Kamiya, Lizomon, Gatomon...

He has finally arrived...

_**Parallelmon**_ is here..." he spoke toward the crystal, having sent a message to the Digidestined and their digimon.

Indeed...

There was no mistaking the disturbing presence...

Of Regan and Kari's original attacker in the Digital World...  
And now, he was here to finish his work...


	13. The parallel dawn

"_Parallelmon. The name of a digimon of terrible power. And the source of much chaos that has been after the two Digidestined._

It was because of him that these unfortunate events began...

And now, he was here to end it...  
But I know one certain thing...  
The Digidestined will be certain to fight back, and undoubtedly, the Tamers will...  
I pray in the name of the Great Ones that it will be enough, not just for defeating Parallelmon, but also to save Kylee Henke's life..."

**Chapter 13 : The parallel dawn**

There was many times in his long life that Krasus was hoping to be right on some things. Other times where he was hoping he was wrong…

And right now, it was really one of those times he would have been hoping that he was really wrong, but his experience sadly proved him otherwise.  
The digimon Parallelmon had arrived on this world…

And as far as he knew of that strange and yet dangerous digimon, Krasus knew that Parallelmon could be very obsessed.

Although the elder wizard clearly found that it was very, very strange that Parallelmon would be _so_ insisting…He had seen the digimon getting 'discouraged' much more easily than that.

No…it probably meant that whatever Parallelmon truly sought…  
It was with both Regan and Kari…  
And he wouldn't stop until he would get what he came for…  
Absorbing the two children into itself to gain even more power…

---

Regan slumped on the couch, defeated and shocked. Kari stood as shocked as he was, while their partners clearly looked troubled.  
No one among them could believe the message they had just received from Krasus…  
And yet…it was surely true…

Parallelmon had come here…The digimon that had been after them, the one responsible about why and how the two Digidestined had ended up in Kylee and Riza's world.  
And maybe…all those other 'dimensional' troubles that had been happening…

It was probably because of Parallelmon as well…

"It can't be true…" Kari spoke.  
"Yet…it is…" Gatomon replied darkly.  
"But…what are we going to do?" Kari asked, worried, and with good reasons…

The last time they encountered Parallelmon in the Digital World, they didn't even seemed to defeat him…and both Regan and Kari were in Bio-Merge with their digimon…  
So, how exactly would they be able to fight him again?

"It would be useless to keep running…" Lizomon stated darkly.  
The other three looked at him.  
"We can't simply keep running from him. What good would it do for us?" Lizomon added.  
"Besides…we have to fight him now…or it'll be too late…" the dragon digimon added.

"Kari…" Regan started, slowly rising from the couch and walking toward the large window.  
"Krasus told me something a while ago, at the beach…" he started.  
Despite fully remembering what happened at the beach, Kari still remained worried. She looked at Regan with a slightly questioning look.  
"And he told me something…something really…bad…"  
"…What is it?" Kari asked, unsure if she truly wanted to know the answer.

"Krasus…He told me that…  
Both Riza and Kylee had been infected by their digimon's data…and the Bio-Modify data we have…It happened when we were against MetalPhantomon…" Regan said.  
Kari gasped, nearly holding a hand to her mouth.  
"However…Riza's been cured…with Bio-Merge…but not Kylee…and she might have not much time left…" Regan added sadly, his head lowering.  
"You don't mean…that Kylee is going to die soon…or worse?!?  
That's what Krasus told you?!?" Kari asked worryingly.  
"Yeah…" Regan answered, still looking toward the window.

"Even so, mourning the current situation will do nothing, Digidestined." The voice of Krasus suddenly said as he appeared out of nowhere in the room.  
"No matter what is happening, a stand against Parallelmon must be done, here and now." The elder wizard spoke, his gaze hard.  
"But why?!?" Regan asked, turning toward the cloaked wizard. "Are you crazy?!? Fighting Parallelmon in Phoenix City?!?"  
"Exactly." Krasus answered. "Because now, we have led Parallelmon to a potentially great source of power…"

His words left a heavy meaning in the air before Lizomon suddenly replied,  
"All the Tamers living here!!!" he yelled.  
"Precisely…" Krasus replied. "Because of us, we have led Parallelmon to an enormous source of power for him, more children, more Tamers.  
You know very well after all that what he seeks is not the power of Digimon…but of their human partners!"  
"And just how many Tamers are there in Phoenix City?!?" Gatomon asked, remembering how many people were at the convention. Just how many among them were Tamers?

"We are running out of time…" Krasus said. "The longer nothing is done, the stronger Parallelmon may become!"  
"But we weren't able to beat Parallelmon together, Kari and I! And we were even Bio-Merging!" Regan said.  
"Who said you have to do this alone?" Krasus said. "You have other very potent friends here, right?"  
"Riza…and Kylee…" Kari muttered.  
And hearing the tone used by Kari when she mentioned Kylee, no doubt Regan had told her…  
"Indeed. We will need as much help as possible to face Parallelmon." Krasus finished, his gaze deep.

---

A few quick mental conversations from Krasus, projected at Riza, Kylee and their digimon, and soon after that, the two Tamers were quickly teleported by the wizard straight into the Digidestined's hideout.

"We could have ran up to here!" Riza complained, slightly holding his stomach, hoping he wasn't going to throw out anything again…  
"It would have been too slow, and it would have made both of you far too vulnerable to Parallelmon." Krasus said.  
"Parallelmon? Who's that?" Impmon said.  
"A very dangerous digimon…and the one undoubtedly responsible for all the troubles that began here…" Krasus answered.  
"What?!?" Kylee asked.  
"I mean that from the very beginning, when Regan and Kari were sent here, separated by their partners, up to all the other events that were dimensional in nature, like the sudden projections into the Dark Ocean, or unknown creatures attacking out of nowhere.

All of this were caused by Parallelmon."  
"He could do that?!?" Veemon asked.

"Parallelmon is not considered a nice name in the Digital World…" Lizomon explained. "That Mega level digimon somehow possess the ability to travel into other worlds, other dimensions, at will…

And along with that, he seems to have very strange motives…He only wants human children that have digimon partners…He doesn't even want digimon at all. Just humans."  
"Humans? Why?" Riza asked.  
"Because Parallelmon seek the power within the human children. Who knows how many children he has already absorbed, making him very powerful?" Krasus said. "And his latest targets were Regan and Kari."

The two Tamers looked at two very unsure and worried Digidestined.

"Still, it behoves us to face Parallelmon here and soon." Krasus added.  
"You want us…to fight him here, in this city?!?" Kylee asked.  
"We have to do it…otherwise Parallelmon will only get stronger. Just how many Tamers are there in Phoenix City after all?" Regan asked sourly.  
The two Tamers remained silent.  
"Hold on though…" Kylee asked. "If that Parallelmon is after Regan and Kari…why isn't he here yet?"

"It seems though that Parallelmon was unable to actually track Regan and Kari's locations at first, and when I was able to found them here, I took the precautions to create shields around this place, since it was clear the Digidestined had considered this apartment as a small sanctuary for themselves in this world." Krasus answered. "Even if Parallelmon is now on this world, he cannot properly track the Digidestined clearly. But in the meantime…there are still many other children…"

"Oh my god..." Kylee muttered. "Every...every Tamers here?!?"  
"Indeed..." Regan answered darkly.

Then, Krasus suddenly held out a glowing crystal, having taken it out from the folds of his cloak.  
"We are running out of time..." he added, gazing toward the glowing crystal, which probably was, somehow, indicating something about Parallelmon.

Regan suddenly tightened his right fist, which then sparked with crimson electricity for mere moments.  
"We can't just stand here and do nothing..." Regan said.  
"When you have the power to make a difference, it is your responsibility to act." Lizomon stated.  
"Right...When you see something happen, and you knew that you could have done something to change it..." Kari started, looking saddened.  
"...It hurts even more then when you can't do a thing..." Gatomon finished, sharing a similar expression.  
"So?" Krasus asked, crossing his arms. "Your choice is made?"

Regan turned straight toward Krasus, then held out his right fist, which then glowed with a deep crimson light. "Yes, we're going to fight!" he replied.

A soft pink glow slowly came out from the right palm of Kari, as her saddened look slowly turned to understanding. "After all, we have to do it..."

"You guys..." Kylee muttered.  
"You can't do this alone guys..." Riza said. "We _can_ do something too now!"  
"Yeah! That's right!" Veemon added. "We'll help too!"  
"You can count on us to help you whip out that Parallelmon's ass!" Impmon added, one fist tight.  
Kylee closed her eyes and nodded. "That's true. We can do something now...  
And it's just like when we helped you fight Ragnarok...  
We're your friends...to both of you, Regan and Kari...  
And we'll help you as such..."

Regan and Kari returned similar, understanding gazes at the two Tamers.

"Then...let's do it..." Regan said.

And with one sudden movement, he ran for the apartment door, then went for the building's roof.  
The others quickly went after him, except Krasus who didn't move...before vanishing.

Soon arriving on the roof, Regan and Lizomon stopped, seeing Krasus standing before them. The other Tamers, Kari and the digimon stopped when they saw him too.  
The skies slowly started to darken, above their heads.

"I will go ahead to see where Parallelmon is in the city, and try to slow him down." Krasus said.  
"You're-You're really gonna do that?!?" Kylee asked.  
"Indeed." Krasus replied with a deep gaze before vanishing in a brief flash.  
"Now go children!" his voice carried out in the wind as he vanished. To punctuate his departing words, lightning flashed in the north.

Regan made a brief nod before running toward the edge of the roof, toward the north. Lizomon soon followed after.

"Wait!" Kylee said. "We have no idea where Parallelmon is!"

Regan didn't listened. He leapt.

"Bio-Merge, Activate!" he yelled in the air, before starting to glow, along with Lizomon.

"_Lizomon, Bio-Merge to...AtmaRyumon!!!"_

A powerful flash of red light exploded in front of the other children and digimon before the large white armoured, four winged form of AtmaRyumon rose in the skies, hovering ominously above the others.

"Krasus indicated the way for us! That lightning was his signal!" AtmaRyumon said, pointing to the north.

Kari nodded before closing her eyes, and slowly started to walk toward the edge, and Gatomon went to her side.  
A slow pink glow then appeared around her, as she opened her eyes, looking peacefully to Gatomon...and offered a hand.  
The cat digimon returned a strong, determined gaze before taking Kari's hand. Kari's glow then spread out on her.  
"Bio-Merge, Activate!" Kari suddenly yelled, her gaze turning determined.  
"_Gatomon, Bio-Merge to...OrahAngewomon!!!"_  
The glow then spread out into a wide light, forming multiple feathers that floated around before another large winged form, mainly pink, and six winged this time, as OrahAngewomon came out and hovered above, coming to AtmaRyumon.

"Well..." Riza started, looking at his digivice, then hesitantly looked at Kylee.  
Kylee only faked out a small huff before making a small smile.  
"Just because you can Bio-Merge doesn't mean you got to be uncertain about showing it!" she said with a small smile.  
"Yeah..." Riza replied with a small blush, then caught back himself. "Anyway, ready Veemon?"  
"100%!" Veemon replied as Kylee and Impmon took some steps back.  
"Bio-Merge, Activate!"  
"_Veemon, Bio-Merge to...AmaKaisermon!!!"_  
And with a burst of blue light, AmaKaisermon threw out a wide swing of his wings before taking to the skies.

"Geez..." Impmon huffed, arms crossed. "If only we could Bio-Merge."  
"Well...who knows?" Kylee jockingly replied, then her gaze turned more serious.  
"But even if we can't Bio-Merge Impmon, we can still do a lot, so let's not give it up! Ready?" she asked as she took out her Mega Digivolution card.  
"Thought you'd never ask." Impmon replied. "Bring out that power!" he then yelled.  
"Digi-Modify! Mega Digivolution, Activate!" Kylee then shouted as she swiped one card in her D-Arc.

"_Impmon, Warp Digivolve to...Beelzemon!!!"_

"Digi-Modify! Mode Change, Activate!" Kylee shouted again as she quickly swiped another card into her digivice.

"_Beelzemon, Mode Change to...Blast Mode!!!"_

And swinging back his black feathered wings, Beelzemon looked at the three Bio-Merged Digimon before looking at Kylee.  
"You know I'll be coming, right Beelzemon?" Kylee said, showing a strong gaze.  
"Yeah..." Beelzemon replied with a slightly unpleased look. "I was kinda hoping you wouldn't be coming. That old Krasus said that this Parallelmon freak was after Tamers and Digidestined after all...

But I'll make sure to protect you!" Beelzemon replied.  
He then wrapped his left arm around Kylee as she extended her own arms to grab hold of her partner as he slowly took off to the skies.

"Alright..." AtmaRyumon said. "With our digivolutions, we've probably started to attract some attention of Parallelmon, but let's get where Krasus showed us to really make sure that Parallelmon knows he has some challengers waiting to fight him!"  
"Right." OrahAngewomon nodded.  
"We'll show Parallelmon that he shouldn't be messing with us!" AmaKaisermon added.  
"Yeah! We'll show Parallelmon the power of our friendship!" Kylee added.

"Then let's go!" AtmaRyumon added before quickly starting to fly north, and then was quickly followed by all three other Digimon and Kylee.

---

"_The final hour?"  
"It may appears to be the case..."  
"Indeed..."  
"But let us sssee how it will unfold..."_

---

Moments later, all four digimon were flying closer to the central part of the city.  
"Where are they?" Kylee yelled from atop Beelzemon. "Where's Krasus and that Parallelmon?"  
A huge flash of light to their left quickly answered that question, as an immense form bursted out of a large energy bubble that wasn't there the moment before.  
"I think Krasus was trying to hold back Parallelmon in the meantime…" AtmaRyumon said.  
"Is that Parallelmon?" AmaKaisermon asked as he looked at the enormous digimon. Most of its body was formed by white plated parts with purple symbols on them, although each limbs were connected by brownish cable-like appendages. And on top of that, its head was decorated by two long spikes and one single eye.

The eyed glowed as the digimon was looking downward, looking at many, many people, mainly children, who were scattering away from the digimon.  
"No!" AtmaRyumon yelled, then rushed toward Parallelmon.  
But the enormous digimon fired first. A large beam shot from its eye, turning into a large claw-like limb at its end as it went downward at many children running away.

But before the beam could struck out one or several children where the beam was aiming, Krasus appeared out of nowhere on the ground nearby all the children before waving one hand swiftly, and with a brief flash, he and the targeted children vanished before the beam struck the ground, wiping out a good part of the concrete.

"Phew…" OrahAngewomon said. "It's a good thing Krasus _is_ around right now…"  
"Anyway…we can't let him go on…" AtmaRyumon said, his right fist tightening.  
"Regan…" OrahAngewomon muttered. "Calm yourself. We all know what he can do, and we're going to fight him again…all together."  
"Yeah! Let's kick out that freak and show him who's boss!" Beelzemon said.  
"Well, I think you'll have to put Kylee on the ground, because you can't fight with her in your hands or on your back." AmaKaisermon said.  
"But if I'll do that, that parallel freak might get her!" Beelzemon replied.  
"_I will make sure that such a thing does not happen."_ the voice of Krasus spoke on their minds.  
"Fine…" Beelzemon grumbled, although Kylee did not really looked enthusiastic. Seeing the immense Parallelmon and what he was trying to do wasn't exactly a pleasant sight.

With a yell, AtmaRyumon charged toward the distracted Parallelmon before opening his mouth, yelling "White Flame Wave!" and spewed out a wave of pure white flames from his mouth. The flames struck Parallelmon on its face, who then reacted, flinching, before he turned to look at AtmaRyumon…before its look seemed to become more insistent…

He threw one large hand toward AtmaRyumon, who quickly raised his shield, blocking Parallelmon's hand. OrahAngewomon quickly followed after, flying above AtmaRyumon before aiming one golden arrow at Parallelmon. "Destiny Arrow!" she shouted before releasing her arrow toward Parallelmon's head.  
However, the digimon's eye started to glow before a beam poured out of it eye, going for OrahAngewomon's arrow…before _absorbing_ it…  
"Watch out Kari!" AtmaRyumon yelled.  
OrahAngewomon quickly flew sideways as Parallelmon's beam had continued toward her, unhindered by the golden arrow.  
"He can do that?!?" AmaKaisermon said as Beelzemon flew down to let Kylee go.  
"Yeah…Whatever you do AmaKaisermon…Don't get hit by that beam…It can absorb everything…" AtmaRyumon answered grimly.  
Nodding uncertainly, AmaKaisermon soon followed after AtmaRyumon, charging for Parallelmon.

"Here you go Kylee…" Beelzemon said as he landed, then released Kylee.  
"Alright…just be careful, okay?" Kylee asked worryingly as she looked at her partner.  
"…You too…" Beelzemon hesitantly replied before taking to the skies, joining up with the three Bio-Merged digimon.  
Kylee looked around, looking for something, or rather someone.  
"Krasus?" she asked.  
In answer, the tall gray cloaked wizard appeared on her side. "We cannot easily guarantee that facing Parallelmon will be something easy." The wizard said as he started to raise his hands, glowing with power.  
Kylee barely nodded, before looking away, and down.  
Krasus paused, noticing the girl's reaction.  
"There is something troubling you." Krasus said. It wasn't a question, but a clear, obvious statement.  
Kylee clenched her fists. "What can I even do right now?!? All my friends, Riza, Veemon, Kari, Gatomon, Regan, Lizomon, and Impmon…

They're all fighting…and I can't do a thing to help!!!" she replied, turning to the inflexible Krasus.  
"And even you too are looking like you're going to help…so what can I do?!? Nothing?!?" Kylee added, tears slowly coming to her face.  
Krasus did not answered immediately at first.  
"So now, it was not only the Digimon who once had the guilt of desiring to be stronger…but the Tamer as well…" he stated.

Kylee paused, startled. "W-What do you mean?" she asked hesitantly.  
Krasus looked at her. _Deeply._ Kylee shivered under the intense gaze of the wizard's black eyes…eyes that reflected so much experience…

"I mean exactly that, Kylee Henke." Krasus started. "Just like your own partner, you too have suffered from this desire of greater power. A desire that nearly had a catastrophic end for your partner, if you remember well…"  
Memories of the event when Impmon first became Beelzemon surged back in Kylee…  
When Beelzemon accused Regan and Lizomon of being the very evil they had claimed to be hunting...  
When Beelzemon had been completely fooled, manipulated by their true enemy, Ragnarok, and then tried to destroy Regan and Lizomon, but had not anticipated Lizomon's power to be equal to his own.  
And…  
…when Kylee had tried to talk out of sense to her partner…  
…Beelzemon shot at her…Although, it was Riza who partly took the hit…  
And it needed an angered AtmaRyumon to bring down Beelzemon, and then save Riza's life…

What was it that day?  
Regan and Lizomon…  
They had seemed to state something about their power…  
It wasn't something they managed to get easily…

"Power often has a price, Kylee Henke…" Krasus added, snapping out the Tamer from her reverie. "Do you think that at the very dawn of my existence, I possessed such power? Or that Regan and Lizomon controlled as much strength in the beginning of their journey as they do today?  
Or did Kari Kamiya was truly strong in the beginning?

The answer to all these questions…is clearly…No.

No…Power is not something that would be freely given. It is given with a cost…or given after worthy efforts.

And even then, you are not the one who will dictate what you will earn after your efforts.

This goes into all accounts, all facets of all existences…of all Life…  
Whatever is done, whoever you are, should you be an artist, a warrior, or something else, that power will be rewarded after many efforts. And often, that power may not always be in a form we would expect…" Krasus finished, and then removed his gaze from Kylee's eyes.

Kylee remained unmoving, shaking slightly as she remained in a bit of shock and confusion.

But she couldn't deny it…  
Krasus was indeed speaking the truth…

She looked at the gray cloaked wizard as he obviously prepared some sort of spell to help the others currently fighting and flying around Parallelmon, who kept throwing attacks left and right at them, although fortunately, AtmaRyumon, OrahAngewomon, AmaKaisermon and Beelzemon were able to dodge them, including the 'claw-beam'.

"But then…what do I have to do to earn it?" she asked.

"That…may be left only to yourself…  
Or that will be only decided by fate…" Krasus answered, not looking at Kylee.

"But…Then…What do I do now? What _can_ I do now?" she asked, completely lost.

Krasus paused again, looking at Kylee with, surprisingly, a slight smile.  
"What you have been trained, or what you trained yourself to do, naturally…" he answered.  
"After all, take a look at Regan and Kari. They have trained themselves now up to the point of being able to Bio-Merge. And now, Riza has joined them in that manner.  
Beelzemon has continued to train himself in terms of fighting; now being able to be a Mega, thanks to you.  
"And I? Well…I continue to use the skills I have been taught, and what I have learned in my long life…

But you Kylee…  
_What are you trained in now?_" Krasus asked as he looked again at Kylee.

"…" Kylee looked slightly down, pondering Krasus' words…before looking at her right hand…

…and the D-Arc in it.

"…A Tamer…" Kylee answered. "I've been trained…and I've trained myself…to become a Digimon Tamer…That's what I always wanted since I was young…  
But…I didn't thought…it'd end up like this…"

"No one truly desires many events that may happen in our existences, Kylee." Krasus replied, on a surprisingly slightly softer tone. "I have seen many terrible events in my long life, many things I would have wished never to happen…Yet it did…  
Yet, in all of this…it does not mean that we are powerless in the grand turns of Fate…  
No…Sometimes just one person, one single being can be enough to change the fate of an entire world…

And that, I speak from clear experience…" the wizard added.  
"After all…Eight simple human children were called on a world completely foreign to them…  
And yet…these eight children, along with new friends, allowed that world, and their own to be saved. They drove back a possible dire fate. They saved the lives of many, many living beings.  
And I am sure you know the children I speak of…" he finished.

Kylee remained silent…then her eyes started to widen…  
Ragnarok…  
When they all faced Ragnarok…  
They were just four children with four digimon…  
And yet…they managed to destroy a truly monstrous and seemingly unstoppable abomination…  
Just four children and four digimon…had stopped a mad beast claiming to be a god…

A small smile slowly started to appear on Kylee's face.

"…Krasus…

…Thank you…" she said, looking at the wizard. "Thanks a lot…Now I know why you're a friend of Regan and Kari...even if it might not always look like it…"

"We are all kindred spirits, all seeking to make a better world around ourselves…" Krasus added a small smile visible on his face, then it faded. "So now, do what you have to do…as we all…" he added before uttering one strange syllab, a hand aimed at Parallelmon's right foot.

The ground beneath Parallelmon's right foot suddenly turned to mud, and because of that, the large digimon's foot easily sank into the mud, which instantly transformed back into solid concrete, trapping Parallelmon's foot in the ground.

And distracted by this sudden event, as Parallelmon now tried to pull out his foot from the concrete, he didn't took attention to the other four digimon surrounding him.

"Atma Blade!"  
"Corona Blaster!"  
"Omni Sword!"  
"Destiny Arrow!"

All four attacks, one golden arrow, a purple energy blast, and two heavy slashes from swords, struck hard on the side of Parallelmon's face, causing Parallelmon to twitch and let out a loud roar.

"Heh…you ain't liking that, eh parallel freak?" Beelzemon said with a grin.

In answer, Parallelmon's right foot tore through the concrete trapping it before the digimon turned his gaze toward all four digimon.

"Get out!" AtmaRyumon yelled as all four of them spread out, evading the claw-beam Parallelmon shot out at the area where they were standing moments ago.

Watching all of this, Kylee tightened her grip on her digivice…  
"And since I'm a Tamer…there's one thing I can do to help my friends fight…" she concluded.

And with that, she pulled out a card from her pocket before taking a look at it : A Power Modify Card.

"Digi-Modify! Power Modify, Activate!"she yelled as she swiped the card in her digivice, instantly giving out a power boost at her digimon partner.

Beelzemon felt it. The new sudden power boost. He looked slightly toward Kylee before smiling at her.  
"Thanks Kylee! I think I was feeling a bit lonely about something there..." he replied.  
Then he quickly turned back at Parallelmon, who was currently aiming at AtmaRyumon.

Beelzemon began drawing a large pentagram with his gun before passing his gun through it when he finished it, before he yelled "Corona Destroyer!" before firing out huge purple energy blasts which exploded wildly on Parallelmon, who flinched under the assault.

"It's working!" Kylee said, grinning as she saw Parallelmon beginning to falter...

...however moments later, Parallelmon shook his head wildly before looking toward the ground...

...straight at Kylee...

His eye glowed...before a large claw-beam was released from it.

"Kylee!" Both Beelzemon and AmaKaisermon yelled

And mere instants as Kylee saw the huge beam nearing on her, she felt grabbed on the side before feeling the strange feeling of displacement...from a teleporting spell...which undoubtedly originated from Krasus who was standing right near Kylee.

Kylee's vision blurred at the moment of the teleport, but when she was able to see, she saw that she now stood several meters behind her original spot...and saw the huge claw-beam striking the ground before vanishing, along with another good part of the concrete there...

"I have casted another spell around you. It should make your much harder to track by Parallelmon, but I cannot guarantee an absolute certainty of its success." Krasus said, still standing near her as he started to move away from her, after having grabbed her to teleport her away.  
"So...be very careful..." Krasus warned. "Undoubtedly, it was the Digi-Modify that attracted Parallelmon's attention.  
Remember that his ultimate goal is to absorb Tamers and Digidestineds..."

With that said, Krasus started to levitate in the air...slowly floating upward as he started mutting new words, his expression dark.

As he continued to float upward, a red glow started to appear around him…before it formed up into twelve red energy ball that slowly spun around him.

When Krasus reached a suitable height, he stopped, and muttered a few words.

"Positron Laser barrage."

All the red orbs suddenly straightened before they quickly spun to form a large circle facing the slightly distant Parallelmon…before all orbs glowed at once…and each of them fired out one large Positron Laser, Imperialdramon's attack, straight at Parallelmon.

The twelve beams struck out hard on Parallelmon, pummelling him down as the large digimon stumbled back.

Beelzemon and AmaKaisermon froze as they just saw the many, many beams that struck Parallelmon.

"Holy Sh!T!!!" Beelzemon cursed. "Is that gray cloaked Krasus who did that?!?!?"  
"Yeah…"OrahAngewomon replied uncertainly. "He can replicate attacks from digimon."

"Man…We kinda knew Krasus was powerful…but that much?!?" AmaKaisermon added. "It ain't human at all!"

"No…That's magic. That's what it is…" AtmaRyumon corrected. "Remember that Krasus is a wizard…and a powerful one…"

"_Still, I would suggest all of you to continue fighting…"_ the voice of Krasus spoke in the minds of the digimon and their partners.

"Well…you heard him…Let's go before Parallelmon tries another shot at us…" AtmaRyumon stated, then flew upward before preparing to dive at their enemy. The others quickly spread out as well, just as Parallelmon started to recover, and Krasus preparing another orb attack…

"Strato Cannons. Full barrage." Krasus simply spoke, and the orbs glowed again before they started to spin again, but this time, at a faster rate, and increasing so much they started to blur.  
Then multi-colored energy blasts started being fired at a really high rate from the spinning orbs, all aimed at Parallelmon.

The blasts kept hammering the large digimon who struggled to remain standing, and tried to go forward.

"White Flame Wave!  
"Destiny Arrow!"  
"Corona Blaster!"  
"Tempest Rend!"

Four attacks then went out flying from all sides, striking at Parallelmon. A loud roar was heard as the digimon fell on a knee.

"Yeah! We're doing it!" AmaKaisermon said.

Suddenly, Parallelmon rose, his eye glowing wide. And with another loud roar he suddenly raised, one arm flinging wide and striking AmaKaisermon with it, sending him flying away before he crashed on a building.

"Damn it, Riza!" AtmaRyumon cursed as he looked where AmaKaisermon had been flung away.  
"Regan! Watch out!" OrahAngewomon yelled, and AtmaRyumon looked forward…to see another huge hand flinging at him.  
He barely brought up his shield in front of himself, but the impact of the strike send him flying backward before he plummeted down.

"Damn it, damn it! Why just you won't die?!?!?" Beelzemon yelled as he started to repeatedly shoot at Parallelmon's face, but with seemingly little effect.

From afar, Krasus made another quick gesture, which caused many debris to start flying upward, then toward Parallelmon. At the same time, the debris changed, stretching and transforming into sharp lances, sharpening at the same time.

Parallelmon however, shot out another beam from his eye, swallowing the lances before they could reach him. He then swatted at Beelzemon, who narrowly evaded the arm.

"_What's wrong?!?"_ Kylee wondered. "_We thought we had him...but he just somehow keeps going? What's wrong with this digimon?"_

Parallelmon then looked toward OrahAngewomon, completely ignoring Beelzemon shooting at him once more before his eye glowed again.

With a gasp, OrahAngewomon quickly flew away as another claw-beam erupted from Parallelmon's eye.

And another yell came out from above Parallemon as a large winged form fell down on him, one sword raised.

AmaKaisermon.

Parallelmon started to look up toward the yell...and got struck by the sword before falling earthward, the face crashing in the ground.

AmaKaisermon then landed before looking toward the downed Parallelmon.

"That won't be enough to keep him down!" AtmaRyumon yelled, flying in the air as he took a position near OrahAngewomon.

Indeed, moments after, one of Parallelmon's hands reached upward and struck the ground, pushing back up the enormous figure into a standing position once more.  
"Well…something tells me…he's probably pissed now…" Beelzemon muttered.

Drastically true. Parallelmon suddenly leaned forward, swiping his enormous hands toward where AmaKaisermon was, who had no choice but to leap upward as Parallelmon's claws raked the concrete and then smashed into the building on one side. And it didn't took long before he took another mad swing at AmaKaisermon with his other arm.

AmaKaisermon quickly flew sideways to evade the next attack as AtmaRyumon flew above before breathing out white flames on Parallelmon's head.  
Even then, Parallelmon seemed to ignore the flames burning on his head as be brought down one arm at AmaKaisermon again who narrowly evaded it before he crossed his enormous wings and yelled "Tempest Rend!" before opening his wings, releasing several blades made of wind, all of them striking at Parallemon's arm. Even then, Parallemon didn't flinched. Not even when a 'Destiny Arrow' from OrahAngewomon and several purple cannon blasts from Beelzemon hammered his shoulders.

Parallelmon then threw his other arm at AmaKaisermon, striking him and sending him crashing on the road, a few meters in front of Kylee.

"Riza! Are you all right?" Kylee asked as she saw Riza's Bio-Merged form slowly struggling to get up.  
However, AmaKaisermon partly ignored Kylee as he looked toward Parallelmon who was looking toward them...

...or in fact...Kylee...

"Riza! Watch out!" AtmaRyumon yelled before rushing toward Parallelmon's head.

But too late.  
Parallelmon's eye glowed before a large claw-beam was shot from it...going at Kylee.  
"No!"

But before anyone could react, AmaKaisermon suddenly raised up, wings wide opened...and standing straight into the beam's path...

There was a flash of light...and AmaKaisermon was gone...

Kylee stood frozen, her eyes wide as she stared at where AmaKaisermon was.

"No...  
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!" she screamed, falling on her knees.

All three of OrahAngewomon, AtmaRyumon and Beelzemon were shocked too at the sudden turn of events. But they quickly reacted as Parallelmon obviously prepared for yet another beam attack, this time not intending to miss its first target.

AtmaRyumon threw his right arm completely to his side, holding his sword tight, before he made a wide and powerful swing with it, striking Parallelmon hard in the side of its face.

Though it caused Parallelmon's head to flinch slightly, he still shot another beam toward Kylee.

But Kylee still remained unmoving, as the beam neared her...only to be snatched away by a flying Beelzemon.

"Come on Kylee! It ain't the time to just do nothing!" Beelzemon said.

"But…but…" Kylee started, completetly lost and hesitant.

AtmaRyumon stared hard toward Parallelmon.

"_I just don't get it...He can't be invincible...can he?"_ Regan thought within the Bio-Merged digimon.  
"_I don't think it could be possible Regan...It has to be something else..."_ Lizomon answered. "_In fact, I think he must have absorbed so many Tamers it made him ultra powerful...And now...with AmaKaisermon absorbed..."_

"_Damn...we need to find a way to stop him! Just hammering him out won't be enough!"_ Regan replied.  
"_Mmm...I think I might have an idea...but something really risky...Definitively a gamble...and a really risky one..."_ Lizomon started.  
"_What would it be?"_

---

"Kari." AtmaRyumon said.  
"Huh?" OrahAngewomon looked at AtmaRyumon curiously and worryingly.  
"I think I've got an idea. Just try to hold things together until we'll be back!" AtmaRyumon suddenly said...and charged toward Parallelmon's head.

"Wait! What are you going to-" OrahAngewomon asked.

AtmaRyumon let out a loud yell as he neared Parallelmon.

"Parallelmon!!!" he yelled, and the large digimon turned his head toward him, just at AtmaRyumon started to glow of a fiersome red, starting to bring out his shield in front of him.

And just as he did, Parallelmon shot his claw-beam at him.  
"Regan!" OrahAngewomon screamed, shocked.

But despite the beam, AtamRyumon rushed in, still glowing and shield held up in front of him...and struck the beam...

There was a flash of light...and AtmaRyumon was gone.

"N....No...Regan...Lizomon...what have you done?  
Just...just what did you had in mind?" OrahAngewomon said.

"_Try to calm down Kari! There's got to be a good reason why they'd be doing this!"_ Gatomon urged up to Kari within OrahAngewomon.  
"_B-But...what kind of reason...just...why?"_ Kari replied, still sounding shocked.  
"_They said they had a plan...  
...maybe it's part of it..."_ Gatomon darkly answered.

Even Kylee and Beelzemon saw AtmaRyumon just seemingly blindfully rushing at Parallelmon and his beam attack. And they too were shocked.

"No...what...what are we going to do?" Kylee asked, gripping tighter on herself as she watched from a distance.  
To be honest, she was feeling worried...and a bit weird...but something unexplainable...

---

Krasus had partly retreated from the action, but not entirely of his own will...He stared at the horizon...and at the sun that slowly started to rise from the horizon...  
It seemed that their battle had stretched for a longer time than he thought...

Not just for him...

But if his calculations were right...

It might be over soon now...

...for Kylee...

---

"_..._

The Time...

Isss...

...Near...

---

"_Where are we?"_ Regan asked.  
"_I guess...within Parallelmon..."_ Lizomon answered.

True enough, everywhere where AtmaRyumon looked, he saw only tons of children trapped in bubbles in some sort of strange emptiness.  
Fortunately for AtmaRyumon though, he wasn't imprisoned within a bubble, but was still surrounded by his red aura coming out of his shield.

"_At least the Atma's Protector made us safe enough..."_ Regan added.  
"_Yeah. Anyway, now let's get to work. We have a chance now, so let's not waste it!"_  
But only a little while in front of him, imprisoned into a large bubble, AtmaRyumon saw AmaKaisermon.

"AmaKaisermon!" AtmaRyumon said, flying a bit closer to the trapped Bio-Merged digimon.

"AtmaRyumon? What are you doing here? And why aren't you trapped?" AmaKaisermon asked, surprised.

"Let's just say we played a risky gamble about how far the Atma's Protector can protect us...and it seems we won...for now..." AtmaRyumon replied with a small smile then the smile turned to a serious face.

"Anyway, we don't have much time right now, we need to hurry if we want to end this and save Kylee."

"What? Save Kylee?" AmaKaisermon asked.

AtmaRyumon turned silent. He had let slip out something rather critical...

Oh well...better explain now...that way, it might, hopefully, make Riza much more willing to help.

"Krasus said to us that you and Kylee had been infected with digimon data during the fight against MetalPhantomon. He said that you'd only have around two days before...you wouldn't be humans anymore..." AtmaRyumon explained.

AmaKaisermo's eyes widened.

"However, Krasus knows a cure...

...and it's Bio-Merge." AtmaRyumon finished.

Now AmaKaisermon let out a gasp.

"Yeah...Krasus kinda purposedly threw us in danger yesterday, in the ocean, so that one of you two would Bio-Merge, and thus be cured.

But Parallelmon...that ain't Krasus' doing.

Still...we have to beat him...and save Kylee as well." AtmaRyumon added.  
"But...how?" AmaKaisermon asked.  
"Bio-Merge, of course." AtmaRyumon answered.  
"But...how will she be able to do that?"  
"I think I might have an idea to help her...But I'll need your help too...

After all...I'm pretty sure you'd want to help her, don't you?"  
"Y-Yeah...

What do I have to do? Whatever it is, I'll do it!" AmaKaisermon said.

AtmaRyumon smiled and nodded before slightly flying backward, and looked toward all the children, all of them not looking at him.

"Everyone! Listen to me!" AtmaRyumon yelled powerfully, causing every child as far as he could see to look toward him.

"Outside, there are other children and digimon fighting Parallelmon as we speak! We need to help them!

Please everyone...give me your strength, so that I'll focus it to them!  
Let's tell those outside, our friends, that we are with them!" AtmaRyumon yelled.

"Of course!" AmaKaisermon realized. "Redirecting life energy! Just like we had done against Ragnarok!"

"You got it right." AtmaRyumon said, looking slightly at AmaKaisermon with a smile.  
Looking back at everyone else, he yelled again. "Now! All of you, hold on to your digivices, to your hearts, and send out your strength to me, and I'll send it to those outside!

Our feelings, our thoughts...They must get to them!  
Let's show Parallelmon that he shouldn't underestimate the strength of our emotions!"

As far as he could see, AtmaRyumon saw the dozens of children nodding before they started to hold on to their digivices.

Then, one by one, all the bubbles started to glow...

---

Parallelmon kept attacking madly, causing OrahAngewomon to be awfully on the defensive.  
"_It can't...It can't end like this!!!"_ she desperately thought. "_Regan...Lizomon...whatever is your plan...try to make it work!"_

Suddenly, Parallelmon stopped, and started to jerk slightly. He started to seem uncomfortable...unsure...

OrahAngewomon looked surprised at this sudden reaction from the digimon. "Could it be?" she started.

Farther down, Kylee looked surprised at seeing the large digimon seemingly stop.  
Beelzemon too was also surprised as he flew nearby Kylee.  
Suddenly, Kylee let out a pained gasp.  
"Kylee! What's wrong?!?" Beelzemon asked as he landed in front of her.

"My...my stomach...I feel...Something's...wrong..." Kylee replied hardly, holding her stomach.

Farther away, Krasus watched...He watched as the events were unfolding...But most of all, he noted Kylee's sudden reaction...

"_Regan Astrasz and Lizomon..._

If you two are working a miracle right now...please make it happen...You may be our only hope now..."

---

Within Parallelmon, a pure light show was happening everywhere, as all the trapped children glowed of an intense light...and then all fired beams, AmaKaisermon included, at AtmaRyumon.

He opened his arms wide, and was struck by all the beams, letting out a gigantic yell.

The power...it was so enormous, so enthralling, that for a moment, AtmaRyumon nearly lost himself in that enormous power.

But fortunately, both Regan and Lizomon were able to stand, and focused the power.

"Kylee...This is for you...from all of us..." a shining AtmaRyumon whispered.

Then he let out a powerful roar as he opened his arms wide and the gem on his chest plate unleashed out a powerful flash before an enormous beam of pure red energy was unleashed...

---

Suddenly, an enormous roar was heard, coming out from Parallelmon. A horrifyingly pained roar as the large digimon fell on one knee. The digimon now actually looked pained as he tried to hold something...but was losing it...

Beelzemon, OrahAngewomon, a pained Kylee, and a far away Krasus all watched.  
And from his vantage point...Krasus smiled.

"My love...they may have done it..." he whispered.

"What the hell is happening to-" Beelzemon started.

A massive red beam erupted out of Parallemon's chest before the beam twisted in the air...and rushed straight toward Kylee and Beelzemon.

Beelzemon quickly wrapped himself around Kylee, seeking to protect her.

"That's...AtmaRyumon!" OrahAngewomon realized as she saw the beam, first thinking it was going to be something dangerous.  
But she realized now...that AtmaRyumon might have succeeded with his crazy plan...

The beam struck and engulfed both Beelzemon and Kylee.

First, there was an indistinct yell that was heard coming out from them...then a powerful light exploded from them...

"_Impmon..._

...Bio-Merge to...

...EosSandhyamon!!!"

As the light slowly started to fade away, OrahAngewomon looked with surprise at where Beelzemon and Kylee were.  
"_So...that was AtmaRyumon's plan all along...  
...They managed to make Kylee and Impmon Bio-Merge together!"_

Looking again, she saw, standing peacefully on the ground, a female figure around the same size as herself and Beelzemon, only this figure had long blonde hair...except for two long white streaks coming out from the top of her head and a black bandanna on the top of her face, with a green gem at the middle on it.

Her skin was of a grayish purple, and most of her body was covered in clothes much like Beelzemon although strangely enough, the clothes were a bit scrapped at some parts, and she also wore a short sleeveless greyish jacket, and also, the 'female' digimon had an enormously long and thick red scarf wrapped around her neck, and flowing behind her.

Her eyes were also covered in a gray and smaller scarf as well...as some scarred markings could be noticed around the eyes...as if they had been damaged, or worse...

While she had not a tail like Beelzemon, other details were also different, like the fact that her boots were a bit thinner and didn't had the same spikes than Beelzemon's. Her right arm ended up with long Beelzemon-like claw; however her left arm was covered by a scrapped greyish Angewomon-like glove, along with multiple scars visible wherever the skin could be seen on her body.  
And at her belt, a long tri-barrelled shotgun was held up.

Both OrahAngewomon and Krasus(from afar) gazed for a while at the new Bio-Merge digimon, although OrahAngewomon also looked slightly toward Parallelmon, but surprisingly, he had fallen on his knees, looking even too weakened to try to get up.

And suddenly, nearly like a blur, EosSandhyamon rushed in the direction of Parallelmon, charging up with an expression-less face before suddenly leaping out in the air and suddenly, her red scarf twitched before it changed, forming up a pair of large red shredded wings as EosSandhyamon quickly pulled out her shotgun.

"Trident...Desperado!" she yelled before unleashing a triple volley of bullets from her shotgun straight at one of Parallelmon's knees, then quickly jerked more upward before unleashing out another triple volley at the chest, and send one last volley at the face.

Parallelmon was only struck out by all the bullets, wailing around as he finally started to react, rising up, but clearly much more slowly than usual.

"Destiny Arrow!" OrahAngewomon shouted as she shot out a golden arrow which struck on the side of Parallelmon, causing him to suddenly stumble on the side before he started to regain balance.

"Shadow Claws!" EosSandhyamon yelled as she clawed with suddenly oversized darkened claws at Parallelmon's chest, causing the large digimon to stumble backward.

Then, EosSandhyamon quickly pulled back before pulling out her shotgun once more, aiming it again at Parallemon's chest. "Twilight Blaster!" she yelled before the shotgun flared and turned into a bigger gun, reminiscent of Beelzemon Blast Mode's own cannon. And with that new gun, she shot one single black and white blast at Parallelmon's chest, which unleashed a strong explosion on impact, causing Parallelmon to fall on his back.

EosSandhyamon remained expression-less as she stared Parallelmon. She aimed her gun again.  
"Kylee, hold on." OrahAngewomon said, floating beside her.  
"Huh? What's wrong Kari? You want to spare that freak? Did you forget what he did to Regan and Riza or what?" EosSandhyamon replied rather roughly.  
"...No I haven't..." OrahAngewomon replied, looking slightly down and on the side.  
"However...I don't think you should lose yourself in just anger about this.

Just take a look at yourself." OrahAngewomon said, pointing at EosSandhyamon.  
"That Bio-Merge form, all the power that came out of Parallelmon, just to help you and Impmon Bio-Merge...

Who do you think managed to make that happen?"  
"...The boys..." EosSandhyamon answered.  
"Yes. We should try to find a way to get them out of Parallelmon first before finishing him out."

"Well...maybe we could try to open up a hole in Parallelmon and try to see what's inside..." EosSandhyamon suggested with a rather devilish grin as she flashed her clawed hand.

Suddenly, Parallelmon quickly rose up before unleashing a new roar of pain.

"What's up with him again this time?!?" EosSandhyamon asked as she braced herself, just like OrahAngewomon.

And suddenly, a red flash emerged from Parallelmon's chest...followed by a four winged figure falling out from Parallelmon's chest: AtmaRyumon falling on his back, holding out Riza and Veemon in his arms.

"Riza!"  
"Regan!" both Bio-Merged digimon girls said as they saw AtmaRyumon on the ground with Riza and Veemon.

"Nice to see you again girls!" Riza said as he waved at the two Bio-Merged girls, although for a moment, he stopped as he saw a bit more how EosSandhyamon looked like.

"Are you two okay?" OrahAngewomon asked.

"Heh...a bit tired right now..." AtmaRyumon answered. "I don't think we can keep up with the fight right now.

Girls, give out a hard one on Parallelmon for us!  
I'll just make sure to keep us away from Parellelmon while you show him up what we really means!"

"You can count on that!" EosSandhyamon replied, tightening the grip on her shotgun.

"Girls...There are many...many other kids still trapped within Parallelmon!" Riza said as well. "We have to bring down Parallelmon once and for all now! We managed to draw out lot of power from Parallelmon for you Kylee, and more to try to get out of him, so he should be really weakened now.

Finish it now!"

With that, AtmaRyumon started to move a bit further away as Parallelmon seemed to have problems even to stand...

"Alright Kylee, let's end this now. You're ready?" OrahAngewomon asked.  
"Yep! Let's get rid out of Parallelmon now!" EosSandhyamon replied.

With that said, OrahAngewomon started to hover higher in the air, fully opening her wings as a soft pink glow emerged from her while EosSandhyamon held up her hands tightly, gathering a purple aura around her.

"Heaven's Judgement!" OrahAngewomon shouted as a large gateway opened up in the clouded skies and large pink, white and golden blasts and meteors of energy went coming down from the gateway, raining down on Parallelmon.

"Twilight End!" EosSandhyamon yelled as she focused her energy into her hands, then held them high, forming out two orbs of deep purple energy before slamming her hands together, unleashing a large expanding purple beam toward Parallelmon.

The drastically weakened digimon was completely unable to move as the energy meteors and the large beam neared him...

A massive explosion erupted, followed by a terrible roar...and masses of flame and smoke erupting from the blast area as the large form of Parallelmon was seen collapsing on the ruined ground before he started to disintegrate himself...

"Phew...finally..." a tired Regan said as he walked a bit closer to the flames, followed up by Lizomon, Riza and Veemon.

Both OrahAngewomon and EosSandhyamon then floated down and touched the ground lightly before they both glowed and separated back into humans and digimon.

"It's done..." Kari simply said on a rather partly sad tone that matched her rather sad face. Despite that now, Kari Kamiya was more inclined in terms of fighting others, it never was an easy thing for her, within. But she knew what she needs to do sometimes...even if it's hard...

Kylee remained silent, her gaze slightly empty. "That...that was..." she started, but found herself unable to end her sentence.  
"Yeah...it's like that..." Kari simply added with a light smile.  
Regan simply smiled and made a shrug with his shoulders.  
"Heh...and to say you wanted to Bio-Merge too Kylee...Guess you got your wish..." Riza said.  
"Yeah...it kinda was something I wanted to get...  
But now I wonder...did I truly deserved it?" Kylee said.  
Riza remained silent for a moment. "I'd say yes Kylee."  
"I agree too." Kari added.  
"And so do we." Regan replied, looking at Kylee as well. "You earned it."  
"...Thanks guys...  
But I guess now...

It's going to be...goodbye?" Kylee asked.  
"Oh...yeah...I guess so..." Riza said.

"Something's wrong." Lizomon suddenly said.  
"Huh? What do you mean?" Regan asked.

With Parallelmon destroyed, we should have started to go back to the Digital World directly, since it was because of Parallelmon's influence that we got here, and with Parallelmon gone, we should have started to fade from this world..." Lizomon explained.  
"W-Wait a minute! You don't mean he's still alive?!?" Riza asked.  
"No...I can confirm he's dead." Lizomon answered.  
"Then what the heck is wrong?!?" Impmon asked angrily.

The sound of footsteps started to be heard, coming in front of them...from the flames...

And at the same time, the sound of hands clapping together a bit slowly was heard.

"Well...Congratulations, Digidestineds and Tamers...

You have performed spendidly...

Very well in fact..." a voice spoke from the flames, as the shadow of a form started to walk out from the flames.

Every of the children and the digimon started. That voice...

"N-No..." Regan muttered, sounding both shocked and angered. "It can't be..."

The shadowed form revealed itself to be a red cloaked form...and with a small buff of wind, the hood covering the person's face was pulled back...

...revealing a face...  
_identical to Regan Astrasz..._  
...aside from the grey hairs...and the red eyes filled with clear malice...along with the dark smile visible on the face.

"N-N-No..." Kari muttered, looking afraid.  
"It's...it's impossible..." Kylee muttered while Riza just looked shocked, just as all the digimon also looked shocked, but all standing in front of their partners with the clear intent of protecting them...

Then...all at once, the children and the digimon spoke out the word...the name...

"_**RAGNAROK!!!"**_

"Missed me?" the Regan doppelganger said as the smile grew to a far more maddened and sinister range.


	14. Begenning and End, Life and Death

"_Ragnarok.  
A name with a dire meaning…_

The End of the World…

And while it was just a name, spoken as a legend…  
…it became embodied…a reality…

Ragnarok became a 'living being' with only one goal :

Destruction.

Destruction, in the guise of a human child. Overwhelming madness within…  
That is what Ragnarok is now…  
And yet…

This beast once…

…originated from another human child…

Regan Astrasz.

One is a beginning…  
The other is the end…

Which ones are the true ones?

What Ragnarok really is?  
And…  
What Regan Astrasz really is?"

**Chapter 14 : Regan Astrasz and Ragnarok : Begenning and End, Life and Death…**_**Terror of Chaos**_

Regan Astrasz just stared in shock and anger toward the one standing some distance in front of them…with a face just so alike his own…and so different at the same time…

Ragnarok…he had returned…

"Ragnarok…how can you be alive? You…died…" Regan started, some uncertainty present in himself.

"You destroyed me, you mean…" the other Regan swiftly replied, his eyes closed with some contempt.  
A grin then came on the 'other Regan''s face.  
"Of course, it should have been obvious…

You cannot destroy a god, you cannot stop…what is _inevitable_…" Ragnarok added, opening his eyes, grinning cunningly at Regan and the other children and their digimon.

"You're no god Ragnarok!" Regan replied angrily, taking one step forward. "You're just a monster, a beast that just thinks he has to destroy everything! You just think you're on some 'heavenly' mission to purify everything, but you just want to destroy everything! You can't consider yourself a god in such kind of way at all!"

Ragnarok then started to chuckle darkly. "Then…despite your efforts last time…both in this reality…and in that other one…

Explain to me why I've returned once more?" Ragnarok asked.

"Once more?" Kylee asked uncertainly.  
"Ragnarok…We don't know how, but it seems like everytime we destroyed him, he kept returning sooner or later.  
It has to be at least five times he got blown up now, perhaps more…And still no end to that **thing**…" Lizomon answered darkly.  
"What? You mean he just keeps reviving? How's that possible?!?" Riza asked.  
"If only we knew…" Kari replied worryingly…and scared…

Ragnarok laughed, briefly startling everyone.  
"Hah…hahaha…That's just the beauty of it! You kids just don't _know how_! If that's the case, then how do you think you can even defeat me? No matter how many times you try, I will always be there…for I am inevitable…for I am Ragnarok…" he added, now smiling darkly as he looked cunningly at the Tamers and Digidestined.

"Even so it doesn't mean you're a god!!!" Regan yelled even more loudly than before. All the others stared at him, even more worried.  
Regan tightened his right fist, which glowed with crimson sparks.

Ragnarok kept smiling, looking at Regan with some 'interest'. "Then tell me Regan…

What am I then?" he asked evilly, extending his arms.  
"Maybe…

I'm you?" Ragnarok pondered with a clearly dark smile as he pointed a finger at Regan.

Regan grunted, then let out what seemed to be a growl…His right fist kept shaking even more.

"RAGNAROK!!!" he yelled, suddenly charging toward his 'dark counterpart'.  
Ragnarok kept grinning as he watched Regan run at him, then as Regan raised a crimson fist to punch him, he suddenly moved to the side with an inhuman swiftness.

"Hahaha! I would have expected better from you Regan!" Ragnarok replied, still grinning as he pulled back from Regan than raised his right hand, which began to burst in flames…then he threw a large blaze of flames straight on Regan who had started to turn at him.

"Regan!" Kari shouted as the flames engulfed Regan and exploded on him.

But as the flames dispersed, albeit quicker than they should have…Regan still stood…surrounded in a red shield, his right hand held in front of himself.  
"You shouldn't think that I'm a weakling Ragnarok!" Regan taunted from his force field.  
"Maybe…Maybe not…" Ragnarok simply replied, both hands covered in flames. He then threw both hands toward Regan, unleashing two blazes of flames on Regan's shield, exploding and engulfing him.  
"How long you think remaining there anyway?" Ragnarok replied, laughing. "You know you can't keep that shield indefinitely after all!" he added before laughing again.

His laugher was cut short by a metal clawed fist burying itself in his face, throwing him backward before he went crashing in a building's wall.

And out of the flames, standing where Ragnarok was, stood Regan…transformed…  
Bio-Modified as MetalRyumon. A cybernetic-like being, with wings coming out of his back, long claws and two pair of cannons on his hands and wrists while a jetpack-like device was on his back. Regan almost looked like he was going berserk, angered as his now cybernetic eyes gave out a wild glow.

"What should we do? We have to do something!" Kylee said. She turned to Kari. "Kari!"  
"Huh?" Kari stood a bit confused, even scared. She looked worryingly toward the angered 'MetalRyu-Regan' who kept glaring at the slumped Ragnarok who started to rise up, smiling…even though his face had been marked all over by five longs claw marks, clearly mangling his face.

"Well…that wasn't nice Regan…" Ragnarok commented as he waved a hand over his face before all the claw wounds faded in smoke. "And from what I see…it seems like your Bio-Modification ability seems to have improved…Interesting…" he added.

Regan only let out a roar as he charged toward Ragnarok, jets blazing and wings wide open.  
Ragnarok simply jumped unusually high as Regan crashed in the wall. At the height of his jump, Ragnarok arched his back before his cloak started to rip itself apart, his back opening as two large wings of flames poured out of his back.

"Now, now, now Regan…Do you really think it's wise to just charge in like that?" Ragnarok asked as one of his hands burst in flames before Ragnarok simply threw a large fireball at where Regan was, causing the entire wall to explode in flames and fall apart.

And from the ruins, a metallic form quickly flew up before flying up to Ragnarok's level.  
Both Regan and Ragnarok kept glaring at each other, an angered metallic face glaring at a calm, yet mad face which kept grinning darkly.

"Kari! Snap out of it! What are you doing by just looking at them?!?" Kylee asked.  
"Uh…" Kari started, still looking unsure.

"Just what is wrong?!?" Kylee asked once more.  
"Regan…" she answered. "He's just going all out mad against Ragnarok…I'm still shocked he isn't in a berserk state right now….but there's not doubt he's close to it…"  
"Yeah, we can see that…" Riza said worryingly as he watched Regan slash left-and-right at Ragnarok who was countering with wide 'blades' of flames.  
"It's because Regan hates Ragnarok." Lizomon answered darkly.  
"Uhhh…I think that was kinda obvious…" Impmon replied.  
"Well…there's a problem with that…" Gatomon interrupted.  
"What do you mean?" Veemon asked.  
"Ragnarok…  
Has Regan ever told you how Ragnarok ever came to be? To exist?" Kari asked.  
The Tamers remained silent, unsure.  
"Yeah…" Kylee answered after a while. "Ragnarok originates from Regan…"  
"…I guess it does make senses with the fact that Ragnarok has this…'human' appearance so much like Regan's…" Riza said.  
"Unfortunately true…" Lizomon added. "And yet…there's still way more…  
Regan deeply hates Ragnarok for many reasons, not just because it's a monster that appeared out of him. Okay that's probably his main reason. Anyway, Ragnarok has been able to potentially strike out so many times at what mattered the most to Regan that it has infuriated him at many points.  
And even then, originally, Ragnarok didn't have a human form. He was just that 'flame dragon' thing. It's only after a certain incident that he 'accidentally' got one."  
"Accidentally?" Kylee asked. "What happened?"  
Now Kari, Lizomon and Gatomon looked a bit more hesitant.  
"It was…a bit after…Regan had discovered something that had really shaken him…" Kari started. "Ragnarok…he suddenly came out of nowhere to capture all four of us, and succeeded. He wasn't even some sort of flame dragon, only a cloaked form made of shadows, which showed he had been severely weakened ever since his first 'death'.  
When we had started to woke up after he had knocked us out, we were chained and trapped to some sort of device Ragnarok had made. He wanted to use it to drain us of all sorts of power that could have been within us to use those powers to create himself a new form, which would be unstoppable.  
But when he started the draining, he didn't expect Lizomon to de-digivolve on purpose, which made him too small for the chains, and he got free. After quickly digivolving back to Lizomon, he prepared to attack and destroy the device.

Ragnarok, who was also connected to the device, warned out that if Lizomon was going to attack, he was going to kill both Regan and me…

Lizomon replied that it didn't mattered to him. He replied that he would be sure that both Regan and I would prefer to die rather than 'being part' of Ragnarok. So he shot and destroyed the device.

Doing so caused it to go wild and overload, sending out everything it had absorbed back wherever it could. However, since Gatomon had also disconnected from the device, just like Lizomon, all the digimon data the device had gotten, it sent it elsewhere…

In our bodies…" Kari finished.

Kylee gasped. "…So that's…that's when it happened…The Bio-Modify…"

"Yes, it's Ragnarok's fault too." Lizomon added. "Regan and Kari fell into a coma when it happened, due to the draining pain, and then the data overload. Fortunately, our friends managed to find us moments after the device overloaded and it was ready to explode.

So we all ran out of the area as the device blew up, taking out Ragnarok with it. And we thought that at least, he would have died at the same time with that. But we were wrong.  
Even though the draining failed, Ragnarok still had managed to get some small amounts of power from us, mostly from Regan and me.

Because of that, from the ashes of the explosion…a boy rose up.  
A boy that was just like Regan…and different.  
Ragnarok's new body. However, the boy didn't seemed to know who he was, but ultimately…Ragnarok reawakened, taking over the body he had 'created', and, using the small amount of data he had gotten from me, he created a new servant : BlackLizomon.

As for Regan and Kari, they had fallen into a coma, and were apparently dying. So we had no choice but to ask someone who expertly knew a lot about the Digital World, and that could save them : Krasus." Lizomon explained.

"Krasus?!?" repeated at once both Tamers and their digimon.  
"Are you kidding?!?" Impmon asked. "You mean that wacky old man is the one that made that Bio-Modify thing?!?"  
"Yes, it was him…" Gatomon answered darkly. "He did it to save Kari and Regan's lives. Since he couldn't extract the digimon data from their bodies, because it had started to merge with them, he decided to isolate and 'stock' that data in their bodies instead, allowing them to remain 'normal', but it also made them get the power of Bio-Modification.  
Can't say it's something that both Regan and Kari really like to have though…  
We kinda called it a 'necessary evil'."

"So…That's what it is…  
Ragnarok…it's because of him that it happened…  
The Bio-Modify…And that 'dark Regan'…" Kylee concluded.

A roar distracted their attention as they saw Ragnarok slash out at Regan with an enormous flaming whip coming out of his hand, striking Regan with enough force to send him crashing down close to the other children and the digimon.

Regan started to rise up, growling with anger.  
"Regan! Stop it now!" Kari shouted.  
Regan started, 'blinking' twice before he looked slightly around.  
"Losing yourself in anger like that isn't really going to help you against Ragnarok." Lizomon added darkly.

"…You're right…" Regan replied after some silence.  
Kari sighed with some relief.

"Well…Looks like Regan finally gets a bit more to his senses eh?" Ragnarok spoke from the skies, slowly floating down, and his flaming wings turning back into his red cloak as he touched ground.

"Don't think it's over yet Ragnarok. We're still more than enough ready to fight you." Regan added, glaring at Ragnarok.

"Oh, and I'm only too pleased with that…" Ragnarok replied with a sinister grin. "Especially with what I managed to throw out at you to test you…"

"Test us?…" Riza asked.  
"...Parallelmon…and all those strange events…" Kari started.  
"Along with those 'black possessing things'…It was you Ragnarok!" Regan finished.

Ragnarok chuckled. "Guilty as charged, once more. Yes! It was me who made use of Parallelmon." He replied.

"Even so, Parallelmon would have never been obeying you. How did you manage to control him?" Lizomon asked darkly.

"Well, after your latest 'victory' over me, I sought to recover more power and more strength to defeat you. However, my actions were noticed by a strong digimon who constantly hungered for power." Ragnarok answered, stating out as if it was obvious.

"Parallelmon…" Regan concluded.

"Hehe…Yes, it was him…" Ragnarok added. "When he found me…let's just say he couldn't resist trying to get me…

So he tried to absorb me…  
And let's just say…I let him…_partly succeed_…"

"What do you mean?" Kari asked. "What did you do to him?"  
"He corrupted him…" Regan answered darkly. "By letting Ragnarok absorb him, he let a part of his essence penetrate and corrupt Parallelmon to make him do his bidding."

"Indeed…" Ragnarok simply replied, smiling once more. "However, it seemed like Parallelmon wasn't entirely willing to truly listen to me…

However…he was more than enough susceptible to be 'guided' by me…"

"So you sent him after us…" Regan added darkly.  
"But instead, it caused us to be thrown into another reality. Theirs." Kari added as she looked at Kylee and Riza.  
"And then after that, you tried to use Parallelmon to cause all sorts of weird dimensional problems in our world!" Kylee added.  
"Along with those 'black possessing things'!" Riza added. "These things were you, weren't they?"  
"To a certain extend in fact…" Ragnarok replied casually. "I did try to strike out from another realm when I realized I wouldn't be fully able to strike you directly, but that 'green lady' reacted quickly." He added with some anger.

"That Nightmare…" Kari whispered.  
"Although I have to say I got really pleased when your feelings dragged you out in the Dark Ocean…" Ragnarok added with a dark smile.  
Regan only grunted and glared at Ragnarok after that.  
"So, you were behind all of it. All those things that happened here, Parallelmon included, it was you all along Ragnarok?" Lizomon asked darkly.  
"Hehe…exactly…  
Even so…defeating Parallelmon doesn't mean you might be able to destroy me…" Ragnarok added with a new mad smile.

Regan growled as he stepped forward, glaring hard at Ragnarok, but a hand suddenly held him up on the shoulder. He looked back to see Kari look worryingly at him.

"Regan…This isn't something you have to do alone." Kari added. "We're here to help too."

"Listen Regan, we understand clearly how tough it is for you, to live out with the knowledge of what that thing is, but the fact is, you shouldn't try to always do it alone. Let us help you carry your burden." Lizomon added. "We're with you, always.  
Besides, you kinda bear out a part of myself, so I don't exactly want it to go to waste, got it?"

With that, Lizomon started to glow…

"_Lizomon, warp digivolve to…UltimaRyumon!!!"_

"Let me help you bear your sins!" UltimaRyumon said, stepping forward.  
"Ultima…" Regan started. "This isn't your burden…"  
"Well I think it'd be ours too since a long while now!" UltimaRyumon replied, looking toward Regan. "I can understand and appreciate the vanity of your desire to deal with these problems on your own, but being a Digidestined doesn't mean to be alone. When you try to do that, it won't end pretty, believe my experience.

So that's why you'll get my help, whenever you want it or not." The dragon knight added before putting a hand on Regan's metallic shoulder. Suddenly, Regan started to glow…and exploded in light...

All the others, digimon and human shielded themselves from the light before they were finally able to see Regan...

...or rather how Regan had changed...

Gone was the cybernetic form...replaced by something that stood really familiar now...

A grey armor over his original clothes, composed of several pieces protecting his lower halves of arms and legs along with protecting his chest...Two orange wings coming out of his back, both marked with the Crest of Life...Two horns coming out from the back of his head, like his previous forms, along with several smaller ones...And a red scarf around his neck...

He had UltimaRyumon's form now...

"Bio-Modified...to Mega?" Kari said.

"This feels nice..." Regan said camly. "Definitively much calmer than being MetalRyumon...Sometimes I wonder how the hell you unleash so much bestiality as MetalRyumon..."

"You'd probably never understand..." UltimaRyumon simply replied with a slight smirk. "But...now with this...don't you think it's time for a new approach?"

Regan simply nodded with a smile as he then suddenly gazed at Ragnarok, who kept showing a dark smile. But UltimaRyumon also gazed hard, as hard as Regan.

Then, as if one, both Regan and UltimaRyumon held out their right hands forward before a flare of energy appeared in their respective hands and stretched out into a long line, taking out the familiar shape of the Mega digimon's sword, before both Regan and UltimaRyumon took the exact battle stance and stood ready, glaring at Ragnarok.

Ragnarok's smile only stretched more as he looked at the pair. "This should be fun..." he muttered before half-crouching and partly crossing his arms and then threw them aside as dark flames spread out on all of Ragnarok's body before it took out a distinct form...

Black shredded wings spreading from Ragnarok's back; Black horns coming out of Ragnarok's head; a darkened armor now spread out on his body, along with a pair of long wicked-looking wristblades on his arms...In other words...

A Bio-Modified version...of ChaosRyumon...UltimaRyumon's antithesis...

"...Really fun..." Ragnarok added as his smile stretched out, to inhuman length, and as his eyes glow of a pure wicked red light.

With that, he threw himself toward Regan and UltimaRyumon, who both began to charge at him.

"Come on! Let's help him!" Kylee added. "Impmon!"  
"Right!" Impmon replied.  
But suddenly, the ground around all the other three digimon and Tamers started to grow black at its edges, before large teeth-like spikes poured out of it, seeking to engulf all of them.

Regan and UltimaRyumon had barely time to notice as they saw their friends being engulfed. "No!"

But, as soon as the spikes had closed up on their friends, the sphere of darkness started to crack...and exploded.

"Ragnarok...you should have been expecting better from us..." Kari spoke, her expression stern...while emitting an immense glow coming out from her whole body. The Tamers and their digimon looked a bit shocked at Kari's sudden actions.

The 'broken darkness' that splattered down on the ground suddenly retreated a bit farther from the Tamers, Kari and their digimon before rising up from the ground and taking a humanoid form of darkness that clearly reminded of Ragnarok...only with much more demonic features.

"Come on little angel...Do you truly think that I wouldn't be aware of your little skills?" the black demon Ragnarok version spoke, bearing fangs as it spoke.

"And you should be keeping up your guards too Regan..." Regan barely turned forward in time to see the Bio-Modified version of Ragnarok that closed on him, and quickly brought up his sword to block that Ragnarok's wrist blades.

"There's two of them?!?" Riza asked.  
"Or maybe, it's the same one...but could he manage to split himself up?" Veemon replied.  
"That's probably the case." Gatomon added with an angered look. "It looks like Ragnarok was never able to fully enter this world. Maybe that some sort of barrier was put up in this world after he got destroyed, so, in order to act here, he instead sent out small parts of himself, trying to break out the dimensional barriers around to infiltrate this world and make his attacks.  
It makes perfect sense when you think about it...All from the beginning with those possessions, then the attack in the Nightmare of the Emerald Dream, up to that other attack in the convention center, along with the gateways to the Dark Ocean...  
...and finally Parallelmon that was used to fully break out the blockings so that Ragnarok could come in full force here..."

"Not bad for a small little cat..." the black demonic Ragnarok said as Regan suddenly leapt upward, followed up by UltimaRyumon as the Bio-Modified 'copy' of Ragnarok went after both of them.  
"But you don't have to worry...I'll be busy with you as well...Can't exactly let dear Regan's little friends stay on the sidelines to watch their precious friend clash with me...riiiight?" the black Ragnarok said, showing out a horrifyingly wide fanged smile that sent out shivers running in the others' spines.

Only Kari and Gatomon actually seemed less affected by that little display. "Do your worst Ragnarok. We'll fight back to help Regan." Kari answered.  
"You can be sure we ain't gonna be doing nothing to help out Regan, because he deserves our help." Gatomon added.  
"...Yeah that's right!" Riza added. "We beat you before, we'll do it again!"  
"Not just for our sake...but for everything else you've been trying to threaten Ragnarok...We'll bring you down, and it's a promise!" Kylee added.

"As always....you're so easy to show out those words of courage...  
...let's see how long it'll last before your faces will be overwhelmed...by despair..." the black Ragnarok added, wickedly smiling once more.

With that, the black demonic double of Ragnarok charged at Kari, the Tamers and their digimon. As it did, it started to grow in size before splitting itself into smaller forms.  
Gatomon quickly rushed foward as she yelled. "You aren't going to scare me like that Ragnarok!" And with those words, she glowed, out from the light Kari kept emitting.

"_Gatomon, warp digivolve to...Magnadramon!!!"_

The black 'mass' closest to Magnadramon suddenly veered out toward the pink dragon, suddenly growing out in size and changing out in form...before it collided with Magnadramon, and both the digimon and the black mass were pushed back by each other.

"Magnadramon, are you okay?" Kari asked, a bit worryingly.  
"Yeah, I'm okay. You can bet I won't let him even try to possess me like he did to all those he has tried on." Magnadramon replied.  
"L-Look..." Kylee said with a gasp, as she pointed at what Magnadramon had collided with...  
As the others look, shock spread out on their faces.

What had been struck by Magnadramon had taken position, standing in front of Magnadramon...but what was the most shocking...  
...was that it looked _alike_ Magnadramon...  
Except that it was entirely black, with pure red glowing eyes, and its features were far more demonic, with longer and wicked-looking horns, fangs and claws. It clearly looked like a far more twisted version of Magnadramon.  
And as the other black masses landed, they merged up to form up two other forms...which were none other than black demonic versions of Impmon and Veemon, both of them showing out terribly mad grins, easily reflecting of Ragnarok's own massive madness...

"...So...he's gonna fight Digimon versus 'pseudo-Digimon'?" Impmon asked, looking disturbed.  
"Hey, it's not like we're going to lose to them. As the originals, we're way better than them." Veemon added, trying to sound less disturbed than Impmon.  
"Anyway..." Riza added. "Give it out everything guys..." Riza added. "We can't lose now."  
"If fighting them can help Regan somehow, then let's do it." Kari added, her glow having faded somewhat.  
"Yeah...We'll end this, Ragnarok...Go for it Impmon!" Kylee added as she took out a card from her pocket. Seeing the card, Riza took out the same one from his pocket.

"Digi-Modify! Mega Digivolution, activate!" both Tamers yelled as they digimon charged foward, glowing...

"_Veemon, warp digivolve to...Imperialdramon!!!"  
"Beelzemon, warp digivolve to...Beelzemon!!!"_

In response, the two dark 'copies' of Veemon and Impmon changed, transforming into Mega versions instead, copying on their two respective 'originals'. And then both went straight for their opponents, followed out by the two Magnadramons going after each other.

While the confrontation had begun between Kari and the others against the other 'half' of Ragnarok, Regan and UltimaRyumon were still quite busy in their battle against the Bio-Modified version of Ragnarok.  
Most of the time, Ragnarok only went for Regan, often ignoring UltimaRyumon.

The blades of the two Bio-Modified clashed out several times as Ragnarok kept slashing out at Regan who blocked out Ragnarok's assaults until UltimaRyumon charged in, unleashing out a large sword swing, and Ragnarok quickly pulled back. UltimaRyumon then quickly pursued Ragnarok as he raised his sword high then brought it down on Ragnarok, who quickly leapt sideways to evade the sword that crashed down in the ground, easily cutting out the ravaged concrete.  
Ragnarok quickly moved behind UltimaRyumon, with the obvious intent of striking out at the Mega digimon's blind side, but UltimaRyumon quickly lowered himself down as he threw a large kick behind himself, then pulled out his sword from the ground and thrusted it behind him, causing Ragnarok to move away once more.

"Heh...don't think you can catch up a warrior like me off-guard, Ragnarok...If you know how potent your own little minion was, then I'm pretty sure you should know that I ain't cheaply made." UltimaRyumon stated as Regan came up near him.

Ragnarok only grinned. "Of course I wouldn't have forgotten..." he added, smirking darkly. "Although I do have to owe you about the fact that you're the one who permitted me to have the possibility of creating my little Chaos, along with that other Regan body I've been using often..."

UltimaRyumon tightened his grip on his sword, Regan looking at him a bit worryingly.  
"I know..." UltimaRyumon replied, eyes closed.  
"And that's what I mean by the fact that Ragnarok isn't something only Regan has to deal with. You're a monstrosity that has been affecting many persons. At first, it was only limited, with just mainly Regan, Kari, along with me and Gatomon...but as time when on, you spread out on many other peoples, attacked, possessed and corrupted many digimon...  
You ain't just some sin of Regan! You're just an incarnation of the ever-existing chaos that tries to destroy order!" UltimaRyumon added, thrusting a tightened fist with a finger at Ragnarok.

"It's an interesting concept..." Ragnarok replied, smirking as he rubbed his chin.  
"Don't lie to us Ragnarok! We know you've just been causing a lot of pain and attempting to unleash a lot of destruction in the Digital World, that it ain't something you can lie about!" Regan added.  
Ragnarok chuckled. "Why should I even deny about my magnificent work that I've done up to now eh?!?" he added, smiling out wildly.  
His smile then darkened, growing cunning. "Haven't you understood at all?

I'm doing all of this because it's what must be done..."  
"Stop saying that you're actually doing us a favour!" Regan yelled out even more loudly.  
Ragnarok chuckled again. "Regan, Regan, Regan..." he replied with a seemingly tired sigh. "You should have realized that already...

No matter how many times there have been Digidestined, Arcanes, Tamers, or whatever other sorts of 'Chosen Ones' coming out in the Digital Worlds...No matter how many times...there is still chaos going on...There are still many instabilities in these worlds, as the so-called 'forces of good and evil' keep clashing out at each other, only adding out more fuel to the fire...  
How can you say that what you're doing is alright? That there's order?"  
"There is still also order going on." UltimaRyumon replied strongly. "The Digidestined and other Chosen are just part of all that seeks to bring out peace and order, trying to constantly stop out the terrible works of darkness and chaos as they seek to engulf our worlds..."  
Ragnarok laughed. "Of course! Of course...That's what you'd be saying...

But haven't you realized you've failed?  
Or rather...that everyone failed?" he asked with a dark smile.  
Both Regan and UltimaRyumon kept glaring.

"No matter how many times 'order' has sought to intervene in the Digital World, or elsewhere, for that matter...There has still been chaos going on.  
The reason is simple...  
That 'order'...those worlds...They have _failed_ in their _purposes_...  
They have succumbed to the true evil that now exists in all of these pitiful creatures' hearts...  
And because of this...that evil must be purged...  
All worlds must be purged out from that evil...  
All worlds must be purified...so that a true, perfect world...can be remade!!!" Ragnarok added, raising his hands in the skies, as his eyes widened, his irises growing smaller, and his mad smile only growing even wider.  
"Don't you see now? Haven't you understood yet? I'm only seeking to destroy evil...and bring out the true good, the true perfection that even the Creators were never able to make..." Ragnarok added, looking back at Regan and UltimaRyumon.  
"So come on...let's stop this meaningless fight...and at least join me instead, in recreating what has been lost. Surely, all together, creating perfection will be far less hard...  
...especially if we were to unite our powers Regan...if we were to return to what we _were_..." Ragnarok finished, smiling madly again as his gaze as fixated on Regan.  
Regan only glared at Ragnarok.  
"Regan..." UltimaRyumon half-whispered. Regan remained silent.  
"In a sense...it's an odd thing...about this whole 'imperfection' thing you've been pulling out..." Regan started. Ragnarok started to look curious and frowned.  
"Those kind of thoughts never truly came out from you Ragnarok...After all...it's all connected to what we once _were_...right?" Regan asked, smiling a bit darkly.  
"But...we aren't that anymore...we ain't the same things anymore...We're different. I'm human Ragnarok, and it's something I'll always believe I am, even if circumstances could show otherwise!" Regan finished strongly, glaring hard at Ragnarok.  
Ragnarok kept frowning for a while...before his mouth twisted into a smile...and stretched further as his mouth opened...and he laughed. Hard. And mad.

Ragnarok kept laughing for a good while before he stopped, gazing at Regan with a pleased and maddened expression. "You can just make me laugh so much sometimes, don't you Regan?" he said. "You? Saying those words...

That you say that no matter what, you're a 'human'...  
Hehehehe...It's just so funny...ironic...and foolishly stupid..." Ragnarok added, his expression turning yet into another dark smile.  
"No matter what you think you are now Regan...  
Can you even call yourself a true human?  
You know it within yourself...  
No matter what...it'll still haunt you, always...  
You've got that 'old wyrm' to thank about it after all..." Ragnarok finished.

UltimaRyumon looked at Regan with some concern. "Regan...remember...It doesn't matter about that...what you might 'be'...To me, you're still Regan...And I think you can really call yourself a human being...no matter what..."  
"Yeah..." Regan muttered. He looked again at Ragnarok. "This is just getting us nowhere Ragnarok. I don't get it why you'd ask us to help you, when it's obvious what would be our answer."  
"Ahhh, but aren't we obstinate after all, eh Regan?" Ragnarok asked with a grin. "It's in our 'blood' after all…"

He then leapt at Regan, his wrist blades glowing before slashing them forward, sending out two cutting waves of dark red energy at Regan and UltimaRyumon. Both leapt out in the air before they looked out at each other and nodded. Both raised their swords, which started glowing, and then they slashed down at Ragnarok, sending out a multi-colored cutting wave from their swords each.

Ragnarok quickly pulled back, letting the cutting waves struck down the ground, just as Regan dived down at Ragnarok, who quickly leapt at Regan when he saw him. Their blades clashed once more as they struggled against each other.

Then, at once, both swung their wings, which had started to glow, and sought to strike the other.  
The result was a powerful shockwave that blasted both Bio-Modified away from each other, sending Regan crashing in a building's wall while Ragnarok struck the ground.  
As Ragnarok quickly rose up, UltimaRyumon quickly met up with him again. Ragnarok quickly crouched as UltimaRyumon made a wide swing with his sword which would have cut through Ragnarok if he hadn't lowered himself. Then Ragnarok rammed himself straight into UltimaRyumon, sending both of them into another building's wall.

"Heh…for a so-called 'guardian', you seem to be lacking out some skills UltimaRyumon…Where did all your mighty fighting skills that you superbly showed up against Beelzemon went eh?" Ragnarok said as he kept UltimaRyumon pinned against the wall.

"You give me too little credit Ragnarok. It's just that, in a sense, you're a bit pitiful." UltimaRyumon replied, gazing strongly at Ragnarok.  
"…What?!?"  
"At least Beelzemon truly was a worthy fight…" UltimaRyumon replied, slightly closing his eyes.  
Ragnarok looked completely disturbed. "You're saying you're holding back on me?!? That's just foolish!" Ragnarok yelled, then his expression turned to a dark grin. "However…I'd say that's a mistake you've made…"  
"Oh really?" UltimaRyumon replied with a now cocky grin.

Ragnarok's back suddenly exploded in a blaze of multi-colored energy, compliments of a 'Strato Force' from Regan, who was standing further back, one hand held up toward Ragnarok.  
Because he got distracted, UltimaRyumon quickly buried a punch hard in Ragnarok's face, only adding up more insult to the injury before he grabbed Ragnarok by a leg and then started to fling him wildly above his head, making him spin like a ball on a chain. UltimaRyumon didn't hesitate to spin Ragnarok a few times into the nearest building's wall before he released his hold and threw Ragnarok with immense force toward the building on the opposite side of the road, sending out Ragnarok crashing headlong in the wall.

"You know Ultima, I would have kinda wanted to do that to him…" Regan said, looking slightly annoyed.  
"There's still a lot left of him so that you can do what you want with him, so you don't need to worry…" UltimaRyumon said with a wry grin as he summoned his sword again.

"Heh…So…trying to lighten up the mood eh?" Ragnarok said as he started to get out of the debris of the building that had crashed on him. Despite having undoubtedly suffered a few heavy injuries, he still rather looked mostly uninjured.  
"Heh…it won't matter in the end…" Ragnarok added as he gave out a mad glare at Regan and UltimaRyumon before charging at them once more, wrist blades glowing…

Ragnarok's 'pseudo-Digimon' were proving to be much harder than probably originally expected by the Tamers and the others, as they were giving out a very serious fight to their original counterpart.

Both Magnadramons were struggling against each other, while the two Imperialdramons were locked in an aerial duel of Positron Lasers and the two Beelzemons kept jumping and shooting out at each other.

"Still thinking that these would be pushovers?" the dark Magnadramon said after swiping out long claws at Magnadramon.  
"Clearly, you're still as foolish as ever…" the dark Imperialdramon added as he evaded a Positron Laser from Imperialdramon.  
"Always believing you can succeed…when it is…inevitable…" the dark Beelzemon added, smiling as he shot at Beelzemon.

"Fire Tornado!" Magnadramon yelled, breathing out a large blast of flames at her dark counterpart, which retaliated by spitting out black flames of its own. The flames exploded wildly in the middle, spreading out around as both digimon kept on with their attacks.

Regan quickly raised his sword before lowering it down as he parried Ragnarok's wristblades twice before making a full spin on himself, sword extended to strike out Ragnarok who jumped back.

"Let's end this..." Regan muttered, glaring hard.

His sword started to glow out with many colors as Regan raised his blade high...then slammed it down on the ground, releasing a large multi-colored cutting wave toward Ragnarok who brought his hands behind him as dark energy gathered on his wrist blades before bringing his hands foward, unleashing two double dark cutting waves toward Regan's 'Strato Blade' attack.

The shockwaves met before exploding with a powerful bang as Regan brought his free hand up to his face to cover up himself, his eyes narrowing as he gripped his sword with his right hand.

And right in front of him, out of the smoke, came Ragnarok, a far too wide and maddened grin spread on his face.

Just as he neared his target, Regan leapt in the air...  
...and right behind where Regan was standing came out UltimaRyumon, sword glowing with power as he swung it at Ragnarok, who quickly brought up his wrist blades to pary them.

However, Regan quickly raised his free hand, gathering up multi-colored energy in it before throwing it toward Ragnarok, just as UltimaRyumon had his own free hand behind him, energy charged in it before throwing it foward, toward a point-blank ranged Ragnarok, yelling out "Strato Force!".

Both Regan and UltimaRyumon's Strato Forces struck out, exploding on Ragnarok who yelled out, whenever in anger or pain, it was unknown, however, as it happened, UltimaRyumon didn't let up.

As Ragnarok was thrown back by the blast, UltimaRyumon gathered energy in his blade before charging at Ragnarok, yelling out "Strato Blade!" before he swung...and struck...

A huge energy gash spread out across Ragnarok's chest as he was now flung backward with enormous force, crashing into the remains of a building.

As Ragnarok started to recoup, and even regenerate, a yell quickly warned out of the coming of someone else...

And before Ragnarok reacted...Regan came in from the front, rushing at his 'opposite' before rushing his sword foward...

...stabbing Ragnarok with it...as the large blade not only struck through the weakened armor, but pierced right through it, striking the flesh beneath...and exited right out from the back, pinning Ragnarok to the wall.

Ragnarok unleashed a loud wailing sound that seemed to be of pain, and all the shadowed copies of the other digimon suddenly started to freeze before they wailed in pain as well, all of them looking totured, holding themselves. Beelzemon, Imperialdramon and Magnadramon stopped their attacks, looking surprised at the new events, before they looked toward Regan and Ragnarok, just as their partners did.

"Yay!!! He did it!!!" Kylee yelled.  
"Way to go Regan!" Riza added.  
Kari looked only worried and concerned as she looked toward Regan and the impaled Ragnarok.  
Regan kept a dark gaze as he still held on his sword which had clearly gone through Ragnarok.

And despite his clear pain, Ragnarok slowly laughed...

"Heheheh...Regan...Do you think it can really be over like that eh?" Ragnarok said, smiling slowly, despite looking pained.

Regan kept only a dark gaze.

Then Ragnarok grinned fully...and in a sudden burst of energy, reached forward with one of his hands, seeking to get Regan.

But Regan reacted first, his own right hand reaching toward Ragnarok, and his open palm struck Ragnarok in the face...

A brief red glow came out of Regan's hand...before Ragnarok exploded in a blaze of flames, propelling Regan backward as he crashed on the ground.

"Regan!" Kari shouted. She and the others quickly started to run toward their friend, as UltimaRyumon got to his partner first.

"You're okay?" UltimaRyumon asked.  
"Yeah..." Regan answered, rising up.  
"Guys..." Kylee said as she neared them. She was pointing at the flames...

They were growing...and were spreading a large amount of smoke before it seemed to concentrate itself...

"Darn it...Ragnarok's doing that again..." Riza said.  
"Looks like it's going to be Round 2, versus the big flame dragon freak again eh?" Beelzemon said.  
"Seems so..." Regan said. "There's no doubt Ragnarok will make himself stronger..."  
"But we can be stronger too now!" Imperialdramon added.  
"Then let's do it. Time for Bio-Merge." Magnadramon finished. The Tamers and Digidestined nodded as they took out their digivices, Regan also reverting to normal.

"Bio-Merge, Activate!" yelled all four children at once.

"_Lizomon...  
"Gatomon...  
"Veemon...  
"Impmon..._

_**Bio-Merge to**___

AtmaRyumon!!!"  
OrahAngewomon!!!"  
AmaKaisermon!!!"  
_EosSandhyamon!!!"_

All the four Bio-Merge digimon stood their grounds, facing the dark smoke and flames that kept remaining focused...until...

...one large clawed paw came out...

...but it was not made of flames...  
It looked like it belonged to a real being of flesh and blood, as it was completely black, covered in fact by black scales...

And another paw came out...before the rest of a dark form walked out of the smoke...

It was indeed, once again, a dragon...But he did not stood on his rear legs like the flame dragon beast...Instead, he was standing on his four limbs.  
And he was not made of flames...but of flesh, covered in black scales. Crimson red eyes glared out from the draconic head as a large crest covered the head, coming down to the shoulders, as two large horns, that were pointing forward, came out from the sides of the head, behind the eyes. And decorating the top of the maw was another horn. Standing tall close to 10 meters in height, the large dragon gazed down on the digimon...

A large reptilian smile revealed itself on the face of the black dragon...revealing many teeth...

"Heheheheh...I must say...Thank you Regan..." the dragon spoke with a dark voice...yet still similar...

"...Ragnarok?" AtmaRyumon said.

"Indeed..." the black dragon said, smiling more wickedly. "But in the true form I possess! Now...I am invincible!!!" he uttered before opening his large wings and his maw opened wide, releasing a powerful roar.

"In your dreams!" AtmaRyumon replied as he charged at the transformed Ragnarok, soon followed by the others.

Ragnarok pushed himself on his limbs, leaping in the air before taking off to the skies, and the four digimon soon went after him.

Ragnarok pulled back his head as he inhaled deeply...before throwing his maw wide toward the four digimon...spewing out a large stream of molten-like flames.

All four digimon scattered on the sides as they evaded the flames which fell earthward...before splattering out on the ground, but not like ordinary flames...  
...and AtmaRyumon quickly realized what it was...

"He's breathing out lava! Watch out!" AtmaRyumon warned out.

Ragnarok only laughed sinisterly as he dove down upon AmaKaisermon.

AmaKaisermon quickly started to pull back, flinging his large wings back before throwing them forward, sending out a huge wind blast at Ragnarok, slamming on him as it briefly pushed him back, immobilizing Ragnarok in the air.

"Now everyone! Shoot!" AtmaRyumon yelled.

"Tempest Rend!" AmaKaisermon shouted, swinging his wings foward as he launched two cutting blades of wings.  
"Trident Desperado!" EosSandhyamon shouted as she aimed her gun at Ragnarok, unleashing a trio of bullets at him.  
"Destiny Arrow!" OrahAngewomon yelled as she released a golden arrow at Ragnarok.  
"White Flame Waves!" AtmaRyumon yelled as he breathed out white flames toward the black dragon.

All four attacks struck Ragnarok from all sides...  
Explosions shook up the black dragon from all sides...  
...only to exit out...completely uninjured...

"He's not even damaged?!?" AmaKaisermon said, astonished.  
"It can't be...We all hit him!" OrahAngewomon added.

Ragnarok only laughed sinisterly as the four Bio-Merged digimon were starting to recover from the shock.

"Heheheh...do you see now? How futile your attempts are? You cannot destroy a god!" the black dragon rumbled.  
"Don't even think that you can be one!" AtmaRyumon replied loudly as he charged at Ragnarok.

The black behemoth opened his wings wide, claws and teeth bearing as the dragon knight digimon charged at him before rushing to meet his opponent.

As they neared, Ragnarok breathed out another stream of molten lava, which was quickly evaded by AtmaRyumon, but the black behemoth quickly swiped out long claws at his opponent, yet they were evaded once again as AtmaRyumon quickly flew above Ragnarok's head.

And just as Ragnarok turned his head upward, AtmaRyumon brought his sword down, yelling "Atma Blade!"

The long red glowing sword went swiping down, leaving a red trail as it struck at Ragnarok's scaled flesh...and a long red gash spread out across the top to the bottom of Ragnarok's head.

"He did it! Nice hit AtmaRyumon!" EosSandhyamon said.

But as soon as the red gash was visible, it started to fade away in smoke...leaving no traces of any wounds...

"Hehehe...what were you saying earlier little Regan?" Ragnarok said as he now eyed a shocked AtmaRyumon.  
With one large swipe, Ragnarok battered AtmaRyumon away, sending him crashing into a building.

"Regan!" OrahAngewomon shouted.  
She and the other two digimon quickly went after Ragnarok as he started to fly toward where AtmaRyumon crashed.

OrahAngewomon quickly prepared another golden energy arrow as she yelled "Destiny Arrow!" launching it at Ragnarok's back. The arrow struck with a blaze of light, but whatever damage it did quickly vanished in fading smoke...

"That's impossible...Somehow...Ragnarok seems to instantly regenerate all damage!" AmaKaisermon said  
"There's got to be a way to break him apart, even with his regeneration!" EosSandhyamon replied as she aimed her tri-barrelled gun at Ragnarok. "Twilight Blaster!" she yelled as her gun transformed into a larger cannon before shooting one black and white energy ball at Ragnarok. The ball exploded on the black dragon, but just like with OrahAngewomon's Destiny Arrow, all the damages that were done disappeared in smoke...

Grunting, AtmaRyumon quickly pulled himself up as Rangarok's enormous maw came down on him, then he breathed down white flames on the black dragon, but unfortunately dealt no damage.

Ragnarok did not lost any time after as he pulled himself upward before proceeding to slash left and right at AtmaRyumon with a clear ravenous frenzy.

AtmaRyumon quickly started to evade the first swipe, then used his shield to protect himself against another series of assault, and then quickly moved on Ragnarok's side to strike him there...

...but Ragnarok's large tail struck him, swatting him away upward as the black dragon twisted his neck, breathing out a large stream of lava toward AtmaRyumon.

"Watch out!" AmaKaisermon yelled before flinging his wings wildly. "Tempest Rend!"  
A large cutting wave of wind was launched at the lava, before it struck it, the wind forming a large barrier which disrupted the molten flow, causing it to spill in the air and falling earthward.

"Thanks..." AtmaRyumon replied, grunting slightly as he eyed Ragnarok. The dark dragon still held a hungered and anticipating look.

"_Darn it...I don't understand...How can he has gotten invincible?"_ Regan wondered, wincing slightly, within AtmaRyumon's digi-matrix.  
"_He's not really invincible Regan...But he's seemed to have gotten some crazy super regenerative powers, as if he's near-instantly healing up all wounds he gets whenever he's damaged."_ Lizomon replied.  
"_Then we have to find a way to break through his regeneration! Maybe if we could focus up all our strength into one attack..."_  
"_Maybe that could be enough...but we'd need him to get really close if we'd want to get sure he won't evade it and to get a maximum effect..."_

AtmaRyumon started to gather up his strength, and at the same time, readied himself...and partly ceased moving...  
With a powerful roar, Ragnarok flew straight toward AtmaRyumon. Seeing that AtmaRyumon had seemingly slowed down showed up that the dragon knight digimon was weakening...It was time to end it...

The black dragon drew closer to AtmaRyumon, his claws bearing, mouth opening...

And just as he had started to open his maw wide, AtmaRyumon yelled.

"Atma Crusher!!!"

Suddenly, AtmaRyumon seemingly exploded in a blaze of red and white flames before a massive blast of white and crimson flames poured out of him, engulfing Ragnarok's entire mass...

OrahAngewomon gasped as she saw the sudden act.

A loud roar was then heard through the flames...

...and falling down from the flames...came AtmaRyumon...Apparently looking far too weakened to be able to continue fighting...

...and he was soon followed by an entirely burnt Ragnarok...which was bursting in smoke...already regenerating all the enormous damage he had suffered...

"...No way!!!" EosSandhyamon yelled.  
"...Even AtmaRyumon didn't managed to get through his regenerative powers..." AmaKaisermon muttered.  
"Regan!!!" OrahAngewomon yelled as she flew right at the falling digimon knight, with the large black dragon that was nearing on him...

"It's over!!!" Ragnarok roared as he neared the falling AtmaRyumon. His claws started to burn of dark flames...  
And just as he swiped his flaming claws at AtmaRyumon, the digimon flared up for a moment as the claws went right through him...but there was then no AtmaRyumon in the way of the claws...

...Only UltimaRyumon that seemed to have thrown himself away from where AtmaRyumon was just a moment ago.

"What?!?" Ragnarok replied, looking completely surprised.

"What just happened?" EosSandhyamon asked to OrahAngewomon as she caught up to her, alongside AmaKaisermon, as they charged at Ragnarok again.

"...I don't know...But...I think Lizomon must have forcefully stopped their Bio-Merge, causing them to separate, so they could evade Ragnarok's claws..."  
"Then...if that's the case...where's Regan?" AmaKaisermon asked.

"_I will deal with this matter children..."_ a voice spoke in their mind...  
Krasus' voice...  
"_Continue fighting him for now...I may have a plan to stop Ragnarok and his powers. But I will need some time...  
Please, hold him long enough for me to be successful..."_ the elder mage added.

"Where is he?!? Where is Regan?!?" Ragnarok roared angrily as he looked around wildly, obviously bursting in anger. Then he gazed fixed itself on UltimaRyumon and the other three Bio-Merge digimon.

"Heheheh...no matter...I know Regan won't really try to play hide and seek with me...especially when he'll be hearing his dear friends screaming in death..." the dark behemoth added with a sinister smile.

As he let out another roar, he charged on the digimon...

---

Regan opened his eyes...and realized he was on the ground...  
Rising up, although feeling some clear pain and aches throughout his body, he looking around...and with surprise...he realized he was standing in the middle of Kylee and Riza's school's courtyard.

"Regan..." a voice seemingly spoke from the empty air. An all too familiar voice as its speaker appeared out of nowhere, standing some distance in front of Regan...

"Krasus..." Regan replied, eyeing the wizard darkly. "What did you do?!? Do you realize what's going on right now?!? Ragnarok is going to kill the others! I got to go help them!" he added, yelling angrily at the gray cloaked sorcerer.

"Yes, I know..." Krasus answered. "However, it would be futile from you to attempt to help them...You cannot defeat Ragnarok in his present state..."  
"Yeah...that weird regeneration..." Regan muttered.  
"It is far more complex than that..." Krasus added. "Ragnarok has made himself near invincible, and just through any means...

He has used some ancient type of magic...as ancient as my own kind...perhaps even older than my own kind...  
But I am also very familiar with that sinister type of magic...  
Because it is very similar to the spell matrix that was used in the creation of a dark artefact...a matrix that made the artefact indestructible...

An artefact which I am sure you know well...by the name of...The _Demon Soul_..." Krasus explained, his gaze darkening to a level Regan had never, ever seen from Krasus before...

The simple dark look that Regan saw from Krasus made him shiver within...And from many reasons...  
One being how really angered Krasus sounded when he pronounced the word of the dark object...  
The second being...something else...He couldn't explain it...but he knew what it was...

"The Demon Soul..." Regan repeated, seemingly loosing himself in Krasus' words...  
"But...hold on a minute...the Demon Soul was destroyed...And yes, even if the Demon Soul was seemingly invincible, it had one key weakness!"

"Yes..." Krasus replied. "While no powers, no weapons could even scratch the Demon Soul...there was only one thing that could destroy it...  
Its creator..."

Regan merely nodded. He knew what Krasus was talking about. "I think I know that as much as you Krasus. He could have easily squashed the Demon Soul in his hand like nothing...And in the end...it was one of his own scales that were the source of the Demon Soul's destruction."

"True...But like I said, Ragnarok has created a similar spell matrix of its own...on himself..." Krasus ended.

"What?!?" Regan gasped. "Ragnarok made himself like the Demon Soul was?"  
"In a similar fashion, yes." Krasus replied. "He has made himself invincible..."  
"Except...to himself..." Regan muttered. "Since he's the one that created the spell matrix...his only weakness...is now him..." Regan added as he slowly realized how Ragnarok had carefully planned his actions against him...  
Now...there might be no way to beat Ragnarok...

"No. Ragnarok did establish the spell matrix, but he was not the one that triggered, and thus, created the spell matrix. It was another one that thus created it. And that one has become his only weakness."

"Another one?!? Who?!?" Regan asked. Those news gave him hope. A chance to destroy Ragnarok!

"You!" Krasus answered, pointing straight at Regan.

"W-What?!?" Regan asked, stepping back, completely confused. "That's impossible! How can it be me?!?"

"When you reached out on Ragnarok himself with the power of your crest, right before he achieved his draconic form...that moment was when you triggered and created the spell matrix he had laid out." Krasus darkly answered.

Regan recalled...How Ragnarok had suddenly tried to attack him when he had been impaled on Regan's sword, and, instinctively, Regan had struck him with his crest's powers...

"But...I don't get it!" Regan added. "If I'm his weakness, then AtmaRyumon would be-"  
"AtmaRyumon cannot destroy Ragnarok, neither can you in Bio-Modify state, for one reason.

Because it is not _truly_ you...as you are using Lizomon or Lizomon's data in those conditions..."

Regan realized what Krasus meant. A thought came to him... "But then...I would have to use..."

"Even that might be far too risky Regan. Yes, in a sense, it would draw upon the powers you hold at your very core, but it would make you far too vulnerable when you would attack Ragnarok..." Krasus replied.

"Then...How?" Regan desperately asked. "If you know another way, tell me! Show it to me! I'll do anything, ANYTHING, so that we can beat Ragnarok!" Regan replied, an ancient rage seemingly fuelling him.

"Yes...there is a way..." Krasus answered...but Regan also heard some uncertainties in the wizard's voice...

"What's wrong?" Regan asked darkly, almost sounding a lot different. "What's wrong Krasus? I thought you didn't mind using your pawns like you want? If that way would affect me in some different way, then do it then. I thought you didn't care for your little pawns..."

Krasus suddenly seemed to snap, his uncertain eyes instantly fixing on Regan with such raw and unbridled fury unlike anything Regan had ever seen...  
It was raw anger...pure power...

And it was making Regan really scared...

"You understand...you know so little, Regan Astrasz..." Krasus spoke, on a darker tone, a considerably darker tone, which sounded different...

...less human...

"You should not dare to judge others when you do not know everything..." the wizard added. "Even with all you know...there is still so much that you do not know..."

With that said, Krasus raised his right hand, palm upward, then spoke one single unknown word.

A huge flash of red light flared, floating above his palm before it started to grow...and then started to diminish...no...It was concentrating...

Regan couldn't look at the light for a moment...and when it was finally tolerable...his eyes widened when he saw what it was...

A red crystal, as red as blood and flames, as big as a heart floated, inches above Krasus's opened hand...  
...but this crystal was not perfect...Yes, it actually looked as if it was perfect...but there was a large part missing...as if the crystal had been broken in several, or just two parts...

And when Regan saw the crystal...all his 'confidence' he was showing completely faded away...as he felt something stir in him...

Something that was stirring up at the deepest parts of his soul...

"I think you know now what it would take to defeat Ragnarok..." Krasus spoke solemnly.

"Yes...I see now..." Regan spoke...a bit calmer.  
"But...I...do not want to do such a thing..." Krasus added, his seemingly always neutral composition seemingly starting to break...

The way he had just sounded...  
...it's as if he was _caring_ for Regan...as if a father cherishing his child...

"Go on...Do it..." Regan then spoke, sounding much more determined.  
"Regan...there is no certainty of anything that it could be reversed...Once it is done...you..." Krasus started...then stopped. His words clearly showed enough about what he was meaning...

"Like I said, I thought you didn't care for your pawns..." Regan replied.  
"You are wrong Regan...Deeply wrong...  
I _do_ care for those you call 'my pawns'...  
It pains me to have to do such things to all of you...and yet, knowing that I have no choices but to do so...  
And I did not found another way...It is the only way I have found to defeat Ragnarok..."

"I know..." Regan muttered. "Still...Do it..."

Krasus remained silent... "...You are certain of this?" he then asked.

"Didn't I say that I would do anything?" Regan then asked.

Seemingly defeated, Krasus nodded slowly. "Very well..." Krasus added, as he started pulling back the crystal slightly...

"Wait..." Regan muttered. The cloaked wizard paused.  
"...Could you...Could you tell..." Regan started, then paused hesitantly.  
"Yes?" Krasus asked. Regan sighed.  
"Could you tell Kari..." Regan added...hesitating...

"...Tell her what?" Krasus asked again.  
"That I...I..." Regan muttered, constantly hesitating.  
"...I'm sorry..." he then said, looking slightly down.

Krasus remained silent for a moment, then nodded. "Of course. I understand. I shall tell her."  
Regan then looked at him with a strong gaze, taking a deep breath...

And suddenly, with inhuman speed, Krasus lunged forward with his hand holding the broken crystal...  
...and stabbed Regan right in the middle of his chest, in his heart...

The crystal struck right into Regan, and with enough force it had easily penetrated...  
...yet even if it had penetrated deep enough...it hadn't broke through Regan's back...  
...as if the crystal had instead 'entered' Regan's body...

Krasus started to release the crystal as he started to pull back...and watched as the crystal 'sucked' itself right into Regan's chest, the wound sealing itself up...as Regan started to shake uncontrollably.

"It's not only you Regan...  
I am sorry too..." Krasus muttered as he watched Regan quiver as if he was somehow possessed by something...

Looking away, Krasus stepped back once more before he vanished...

Burning pain had engulfed Regan. His whole body was shaking, he couldn't control it anymore.  
The pain seemed to grow, to spread. It wasn't just his body anymore...  
Regan screamed. He knew he screamed, but he didn't knew what it was...  
Then...the pain ceased...There was nothing now...  
The darkness...the emptiness...it was just so comforting...  
And Regan let him swallow him...swallow him whole...  
It was over...

"_Kari...  
I'm sorry..."_

---

The battle against Ragnarok was going badly. Really badly. Even with UltimaRyumon's skills and speed, all of them had started to bear bad wounds from Ragnarok's attacks.

OrahAngewomon panted, trying to catch her breath as she watched Ragnarok, who was surrounded by the four of them. And by the looks on the black dragon's face, he was clearly looking for his next target...

Suddenly, OrahAngewomon jolted. Something wasn't right...

"_Kari? What's wrong?"_ Gatomon asked within OrahAngewomon.  
"_I...I don't know..."_ Kari replied. It was her that had just felt something...  
She didn't knew what it was...it didn't felt right...  
It had felt like some kind of pain...of sadness...

Her current thoughts were cleared away as Ragnarok roared, going up for his target : EosSandhyamon.

"No!" AmaKaisermon shouted, going for Ragnarok, soon imitated by OrahAngewomon and UltimaRyumon.  
As Ragnarok neared EosSandhyamon, the digimon quickly moved back before pulling her gun and shooting several volleys right into Ragnarok's nose...with no effect...

"Eos! Watch out!" UltimaRyumon yelled out.  
Too late. One of Ragnarok's wing struck EosSandhyamon, sending her spiralling out of control, but not before she met a large clawed black fist from Ragnarok...  
And as she tried to regain control...she was engulfed in a blaze of molten lava...

"Kylee!!!" AmaKaisermon yelled.

EosSandhyamon screamed...before her burnt body fell on the ground below with a thud...and then glowed before separating into a badly wounded Kylee and Impmon.

AmaKaisermon's hands shook...before he yelled. He yelled so loudly that Ragnarok actually looked surprised for one second...

And it was enough so that AmaKaisermon's blast sent the large dragon crash right through a half-razed building, abandoned thanks to the ensuing battle.

"Not bad..." UltimaRyumon muttered. "But we're one fighter short now..."  
AmaKaisermon looked down toward Kylee and Impmon.  
"She'll be okay..." OrahAngewomon started hesitantly.  
"If we can get through this that is..." UltimaRyumon interrupted.

"Heheheheh...impressive hit...but it's nothing to me now..." Ragnarok spoke as he started to fly back toward the three remaining digimon.

"There is nothing you can do to save yourselves any-"

A giant crimson form suddenly crashed right into Ragnarok, sending the black beast tumbling around, caught up by the new form. Ragnarok was then thrown away in the air before he was able to recover himself.

And when he looked toward what had just attacked him...Ragnarok's eyes actually widened from surprise...and fear?!?

"YOU?!?!?! That's impossible!!!!!" Ragnarok yelled, sounding completely lost.

The three digimon, and Kylee and Impmon on the ground looked at the newcomer...

It was a dragon...A red dragon that stood as immense as Ragnarok himself. His bearing and demeanour made him look considerably more awe-inspiring than Ragnarok's terrifying appearance. Unlike Ragnarok, his horns came out from the back of his head before they continued behind, and a smaller pair was below, and a few others came out from the top of his head, pointing backward, as they 'started' the red dragon's own crest. Like Ragnarok, he also had a horn on the top of the front of his maw.

"Another one?" AmaKaisermon asked.  
Both UltimaRyumon and OrahAngewomon looked in silence in surprise at the red dragon.  
"_It can't be...  
No...it isn't...then who it is?  
It can't be...'him'?"_ Kari desperately thought within OrahAngewomon.

"You can't be here!" Ragnarok roared. "You should be dead!!!"  
"So you should be...but it looks like the circumstances are otherwise..." the red dragon rumbled.

The way it talked made both OrahAngewomon and UltimaRyumon frown.  
Something wasn't right...

Ragnarok caught himself back, clearly having reminded himself of his invincibility.  
"Heh...maybe you're somehow alive...but you won't stay alive long! I am not invincible! You will never be able to defeat me!"  
The red dragon only stared hard at Ragnarok.  
Then, both launched a powerful roar before charging at each other.

Ragnarok stopped himself in mid-air before suddenly throwing his tail forward, battering the other dragon in its face. Taking advantage of the distraction, Ragnarok lunged forward...  
But the other reacted faster. He barely avoided the maw as he swiped his claws at the left side of Ragnarok's face...leaving several bloody marks...

...and this time, Ragnarok actually screamed, or roared...from _pain_!!!

"Huh?!?" All three digimon were suddenly shocked to see that the dragon had just done the impossible...He had managed to harm Ragnarok! And the regeneration power seemed to be gone.

"What have you done to me?!?" Ragnarok asked, looking at the red dragon with complete shock as he pulled back from him.  
"Only the beginning of what should be done." The red leviathan answered.

"Strato Force!"  
"Celestial Strike!"  
"Tempest Rend!"

All three attacks struck the side of Ragnarok...leaving wounds...which started to fade...but somewhat slower than usual.  
And yet the marks the red dragon had done still remained.

"No...Somehow, that dragon can tear right through that regeneration power...and his attacks are weakening Ragnarok's regenerative powers..." UltimaRyumon said. "We'll have to support him to make sure he can bring down Ragnarok!"  
"Right!" AmaKaisermon nodded.  
But OrahAngewomon kept staring at the red dragon with a strange and worried look...  
...or rather...Kari was...

Ragnarok growled slowly at he stared at the red dragon before unleashing an outraged roar before breathing out a stream of molten lava, but the red dragon was quickly able to avoid it.

Ragnarok quickly charged on his opponent, however, his aim went completely off as he received a fist on the side of his face, compliments from UltimaRyumon.

Taking advantage of the distraction, the red dragon inhaled deeply before launching out a long stream of flames right at Ragnarok. He struck, engulfing whole parts of Ragnarok in flame. The black dragon roared again in pain.

"Omni Sword!" AmaKaisermon yelled as he slashed down on Ragnarok's back. He cut out a long mark through the scales, but they started to regenerate...even slower than before...

"We're doing it..." OrahAngewomon muttered.

With deep breaths, Ragnarok looked at the red dragon as if he had gone mad. "No...No, no, no, NO! I won't allow you to win! I am the one that will be victorious!" he roared.  
"Come out Regan! I know this is your doing! Where are you?!? Too scared to face me directly?!?" the black dragon roared again before he started launching wild bursts of lava all around.

The red dragon didn't react in that sudden burst of madness from his adversary, aside from starting to move to evade the lava bursts.

"I have absolutely no idea of anyone calling himself Regan. But what is certain is that I will bring out an end to you." The red dragon added as he glared at the mad Ragnarok.

OrahAngewomon gasped.  
Now Kari recognized it...  
But...he shouldn't be here...  
It wasn't right...

With a defiant roar, the red behemoth launched himself once more at his enemy. He launched two quick stunning bursts of flames at Ragnarok. One caught the black on a wing while the other struck in his face.

And just as the red neared, Ragnarok suddenly slashed out at the red dragon...only to have his claws blocked by the red, having thrown his own claws.

"Strato Force!"  
"Celestial Strike!"  
"Tempest Rend!"

The attacks from the three digimon struck Ragnarok at the face, hitting out hard. And despite the fact that Ragnarok was still probably affected by his regenerative powers, he couldn't ignore the pain anymore, as it briefly distracted him...  
...but it was an opportunity the red was waiting for.

With a sudden and immense fury, the red lunged forward at Ragnarok, his maw biting hard at Ragnarok's neck as the red dragon then started to stab and slash at Ragnarok's body repeatedly with his front and rear paws.

He struck with clear force that it seemed that all semblance of intelligence from the dragon was gone...Only raw and pure fury, as if it was instead one of the most savage beasts ever that was dealing the blows on Ragnarok.

Ragnarok was unable to escape the other's death-like grip as the red continued to rip through the other's body, and yet after one immense roar...the red dragon released his hold on Ragnarok.  
For a brief moment, Ragnarok pulled back, ready to escape, but the second after, he sought to lunge again.

He never got the chance.

One of the red's large paws tore right through what might have been his heart pulling it back, as now flames started to pour out of the wound.

Ragnarok jolted before he started to quiver. Red cracks started to appear out everywhere on his body.

The red dragon raised one red paw, with started to glow with energy...then brought it down on Ragnarok with earth-shattering force.

The black dragon went down, seemingly crumbling as he kept tumbling and spinning in the air, wailing at the same time.

Ragnarok fell...

"He did it..." OrahAngewomon muttered.

"Kylee, watch out!" UltimaRyumon warned out.

True enough. While Ragnarok was dying, he had started to fall...right where Kylee and Impmon were...

But even if she had managed to get up to a sitting position while watching the fight, she was unable to move away, as she saw the massive black form grow bigger...bigger...

...and just as it seemed Ragnarok struck the ground, crushing everything beneath it...he exploded...in smoke...

Black smoke spread out everywhere on the ground before it slowly faded...leaving no traces...

AmaKaisermon let out a long breath. "Whew...It's over..."  
"Maybe..." UltimaRyumon muttered.

As the three digimon landed near Kylee and Impmon, AmaKaisermon kneeled close to Kylee.  
"Are you okay Kylee?" he asked.

Kylee nodded, catching up her own breath. "Y-yeah...I think so...  
But...is it over?" she asked.

She was looking at OrahAngewomon and UltimaRyumon. Both of them were looking upward at the red dragon.

"No..." OrahAngewomon muttered.  
"It does look like it's him...Why didn't I recognize him earlier?" UltimaRyumon said.  
"You know that dragon?" Kylee asked.  
"It doesn't make any sense...he can't be here...Not like this..." OrahAngewomon added, almost lost in her thoughts. But she was speaking on a very worried tone...

The red dragon looked at them for a while...before he turned and flew away.

"No, wait!" OrahAngewomon yelled. And just as she started to leap up in the air, someone interrupted her.

"He will not listen to you." Krasus said as he appeared out of nowhere, in front of the digimon and Kylee.

"W-What's going on?" A battered Impmon asked.

"Krasus...what did you do?" OrahAngewomon asked, 'looking' at Krasus with an insistent look.

Krasus closed his eyes as he spoke. "The only thing that I was able to find to destroy Ragnarok...It was the only way..."  
"But, hold on...where's Regan?" Kylee asked.

Krasus remained silent. And it seemed the silence was partly communicating what he might just have done...

"_What_ did you do to Regan?!?" OrahAngewomon asked, stepping forward.  
"There is no way that dragon could be there...not that way..." UltimaRyumon said.  
"He should have been only a ghost...and yet right now, he looked as if he was of flesh and blood..."

"A ghost?" AmaKaisermon asked. "He's supposed to be dead?"

"Ragnarok did spoke the truth." Krasus interrupted. "That red dragon in fact died a long time ago.

And his name...is _Ragnarastrasz_..."

"Ragnarastrasz?" Kylee slowly repeated, having a slight difficulty at repeating the name.  
"Hold on a minute..."Impmon muttered. "It sounds a lot like..."

"Regan...Astrasz?!?" AmaKaisermon continued.

UltimaRyumon did not seemed to be much surprised by that...and neither was OrahAngewomon. But AmaKaisermon, Kylee and Impmon stared with wide eyes at Krasus.

UltimaRyumon's eyes dangerously narrowed. "Tell us...  
What _exactly_ did you do to Regan? How can Ragnarastrasz be here like that?"

"Ragnarastrasz was the only one that could tear through the spell matrix that had made Ragnarok invincible...There was no other choices..." Krasus said.  
"Stop turning around the subject Krasus!" OrahAngewomon shouted...angrily. "What happened to Regan?!?"

"In order for Ragnarastrasz to return...  
His...'other half'...had to be...'removed'..." Krasus said. He took one breath before he went on...

"Regan Astrasz..._has ceased to be_..." he added darkly.

"...What?" Kylee muttered. "You can't mean Regan's..."

"Regan Astrasz is not dead. He has ceased to exist.

In order for Ragnarastrasz to fully exist, Regan had to be gone...  
And Ragnarastrasz could not truly exist when Regan exists...  
Which means that Regan is no more...  
He is gone..." Krasus darkly explained.

Parts of the things Krasus had just said made no sense to AmaKaisermon, Kylee and Impmon. Maybe even to UltimaRyumon and OrahAngewomon...  
...but the final meaning in those words had been very clear...

"_No..."_ Kari muttered within OrahAngewomon, slowly shaking.  
"_No..."_

"_Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"_

Her scream echoed throughout only OrahAngewomon's body and digi-matrix...

_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_


	15. The Bonds of Life

"_We all hold secrets within us…And there are no exceptions.  
Sometimes, it is because of fear that we keep those secrets…  
Other times…we keep them to protect others from it…_

For some times now Regan Astrasz had been living with a terrible secret…  
First Ragnarok…  
And then…Ragnarastrasz…

Regan Astrasz and Ragnarastrasz…

The time for this secret's unfolding may have come soon now…"

**Chapter 15 : Regan Astrasz and Ragnarastrasz : The Bonds of Life**

Silence filled the ruined area where the battle against Ragnarok had just been happening a few moments ago.

The dreaded beast had returned, and it seemed even stronger than ever…  
But the Digidestined and the Tamers had been able to defeat him…  
…but for what price?

Regan…was _no more_…

Sobs came from OrahAngewomon, as Kylee, Impmon, AmaKaisermon and UltimaRyumon all clearly reacted badly to the news Krasus had just given them…  
About what he had done…  
Krasus let out a long sigh. "I apologize for this, but unfortunately, despite that I tried to find another way…I could find no other alternative…" he said.

"And Regan actually said yes?" UltimaRyumon asked, sounding dark, clutching his long sword's hilt tightly.

"Yes…he did…" Krasus answered, nodding. He looked at OrahAngewomon. "Kari…  
He wanted you to know…  
That he was sorry…" the wizard added.

"…Sorry?" OrahAngewomon repeated.  
"Yes, it was his request…I wish I could have been able to do-"  
"You idiot!!!"

No one else around probably never expected what just happened…  
…probably not even Krasus…

OrahAngewomon had just lunged forward and so quickly before she had grabbed Krasus by the collar of her cloak and lifted her in the air, bringing his face closer to hers, still covered by her helmet.

"Kari-" UltimaRyumon started, a bit dumbfounded, but stopped…He was actually unsure what he should have been doing…  
Maybe he would have just done that too…

"Why did you do this to Regan?!? Why???" OrahAngewomon asked, undoubtedly sounding angry. "You probably even knew that with whatever method you showed up to Regan, he'd be saying yes really quickly, and you're actually trying to say you're sorry too?!?"

"Hem…Kari? Maybe you…could stop?" AmaKaisermon asked, a bit unsure.

"Why Krasus?!? What are we to you anyway? We're just pawns for you like Regan often says or what???" OrahAngewomon asked angrily.

Krasus's eyes narrowed before he reached out to OrahAngewomon's arm that was holding her. The moment he touched the arm, a bright and powerful flash of light occurred, and OrahAngewomon suddenly stepped back, releasing her hold on Krasus, who fell back on his feet, although with the hood fallen back, better showing up his features, especially the scars on the right side of his face and his slightly pointy ears that were coming out of his hairs.

But the way he looked right now…it really didn't made him look friendly…as the air around him seemed to have grown darker, thicker, giving a more frightening aura to the wizard.

"And just like Regan, you keep misjudging me without knowing everything, Kari Kamiya…" Krasus spoke on a darker tone.  
He closed his eyes before taking a long breath…and the darker aura seemed to fade from him.  
"I can understand your pain, and I clearly sympathize with you for those losses…" Krasus started, putting back his hood on his head.  
"Yet…if all of you do dearly hold Regan in your hearts, then it behoves all of you to go face him to recover him." He added.  
"Huh?" All the digimon and Kylee looked confused.  
"Do you mean…there is a way to get Regan back?" UltimaRyumon asked.  
"Yes…in a sense…" Krasus answered. "But it will be most difficult…"  
"What do we have to do?" OrahAngewomon asked.

"You must defeat Ragnarastrasz." Krasus answered.  
"…Ehh, what?" AmaKaisermon asked. "You want us to fight that dragon?"

"As I mentioned earlier, Ragnarastrasz cannot truly exist as long as Regan does exist. The same thing applies on the opposite sense. If Ragnarastrasz ceases to exist, then Regan could be recovered.  
But if you hesitate too much, then Ragnarastrasz will go on before he will leave this world…and Regan will be lost forever…" Krasus explained.

"You're a real jerk Krasus…You should know that…  
I can't believe you're just doing that, and you say you're helping us…" OrahAngewomon muttered…and then flew in the air, flying in the direction where the red dragon went.  
"…We follow her?" AmaKaisermon asked to UltimaRyumon.  
"Do so." Krasus said. "Alone, she will not be enough to return Regan. It will take much to bring him back…

If all of your bonds of friendship are indeed strong enough…then he may be saved…" Krasus added.  
"I understand…" UltimaRyumon replied, nodding to Krasus. "Come on Ama." He added before taking off to the skies.  
AmaKaisermon soon went after him.

"You're sure we can trust Krasus? I can't believe you still trust him like that…" AmaKaisermon said.  
"Regan…he didn't deserve to be…gone…"  
"I understand why you can be angry at Krasus…and why Kari is too…  
But believe me when I say that Krasus is trust-worthy…more so than you can imagine…  
I know him a lot more than you know…" UltimaRyumon replied. "And if says there's a chance to bring back Regan…" The dragon knight digimon tightened his sword's hilt once more. "…Then I don't want to miss it…"

---

Krasus watched the other fly away, in the same direction than Ragnarastrasz had just went to before he turned his attention to Kylee when he heard her grunt a bit."  
"Ugh…Come on Impmon, we gotta do something…" Kylee muttered.  
"I'm afraid you cannot." Krasus interrupted. "Both of you are far too wounded to go on."  
"Gee, thanks to notice…but we still wanna help the others out!" Impmon added before wincing.  
"I believe Regan would understand that you were unable to help…After all, you are still connected to him, through your friends…" Krasus said.  
"Yeah right…You think it's okay for us?" Impmon said.  
"And what about you?" Kylee said. "You keep saying all that stuff about that you're the one that's sorry, and yet you just keep telling us to 'do this' and 'do that'! It's like Regan is right about this 'pawn' thing about you!  
And while now Riza, Kari, Veemon, Gatomon and Lizomon are all going to fight against that dragon Ragnarastrasz, you're just staying there and you'll do nothing? Just like when you rather did nothing when Ragnarok came?!?" she asked, repeteadly hammering Krasus with her questions.  
But the wizard remained silent, looking back toward where all the others had flown away…  
"Hey!!! Answer me when I'm talking to you!!!" Kylee yelled as she grabbed at Krasus' cloak and tugged hard on it.

But Krasus didn't replied back. Instead, he vanished into the air, Kylee's hold on his cloak suddenly vanishing as she fell forward in the ruined ground.  
"Darn it…" She muttered, tears slowly coming to her face. "Regan…why did he do that to you? And now what's he's doing to us?"

"Hey!!!" someone yelled. Kylee and Impmon looked away to see two figures approaching…and their eyes widened when she saw who it was…

Darius and…a Cyberdramon…

"Kylee Henke?!?" Darius said as he got close enough to her, recognizing her. "What happened to you?"  
"I…" she started, but she did not know what to say…and more tears started to come to her eyes as she thought about Regan…  
"Hold on…we'll get you out of here. Better get you to a hospital; you really don't look well…" Darius said, approaching her a bit.  
"N-No…I'll…I'll be fine…" she replied negatively.  
"Kylee…with all those weird digimon and those strange monsters gone, it's only a matter of time before the police will get here, and if they find you here, there's no doubt they're gonna want some answers from you…

Look…I'm not gonna ask what's happen. Keep that for yourself right now, if that's you want…But I don't think the policemen are gonna like it if you say nothing…  
So…will you let us help you?" Darius asked.  
Kylee remained silent for a while, pondering her options…  
"…Okay…" she said a bit weakly.  
"All right…and thanks…" Darius replied. "Cyberdramon, let's get them out of here."  
The dragon digimon nodded before he gently took both Kylee and Impmon as Darius climbed on the digimon's back, and moments after that, the digimon flew away…

"_Regan…we don't want to lose you…  
…no one wants to lose you…"_ Kylee sadly thought as she was carried away.  
"_Riza…Kari…Lizomon…Please get him back…"_

---

The red dragon had been blithely flying above the buildings of the city, sometimes looking down and a bit astonished at that place…  
This place really was odd…He had never seen anything like those…  
And it appeared it was humans that had created those constructions…  
He wondered at how they would have been able to create them as he continued to fly, seeking any recognizable marks in the landscape beyond…

"Ragnarastrasz, stop!" he then heard.  
Twisting his head backward, the red dragon saw three flying form that were catching up to him. Those same three winged beings that had apparently helped him fight the black one…

"I don't see why you should follow me! Leave me!" the dragon loudly replied to them as he focused back forward.

But OrahAngewomon wouldn't be deterred. But before she tried to speak again, UltimaRyumon came up to her side. "Dragons are very obstinate Kari, I think that should be an obvious thing. Talking to him about the stuff that he should be dead or anything else like that won't work...

Besides...if we do want to bring back Regan...the only way for that may be to fight Ragnarastrasz..." the dragon digimon said.

OrahAngewomon remained silent as they kept pursuing Ragnarastrasz, who had done nothing yet to avoid them...

"...So? What do we do?" AmaKaisermon asked uncertainly, looking at OrahAngewomon. Even UltimaRyumon seemed to be awaiting the angel digimon's word...

"_...Kari?"_ Gatomon hesitantly asked.  
Kari remained silent, within OrahAngewomon, the terrible silence weighing heavily on herself as they kept following Ragnarastrasz. The dragon didn't seem to try to avoid them...but he would surely grow suspicious soon...

"_What should I choose?"_ Kari thought to herself. "_Am I the one that's just trying to go after something __that's already lost...or is there still a chance?"_

"_**There may be a chance when you are willing to stay true to your heart, child..."**_ an unknown voice suddenly spoke, entering Kari's thoughts...

And she suddenly found herself in the void...Nothing...Save for herself, still glowing of her own Bio-Merge light...

"_And...who are you?"_ Kari hesitantly asked to the void...

A slow and light chuckle was heard, sounding surprisingly gentle and comforting...  
It was the voice of a woman...

Kari tried to put up a match to the voice, considering that whoever, or whatever it was, it surely wasn't a digimon or a human being...Something close to Ysera no doubt...  
But it wasn't Ysera's voice...

"_**You should know me well...I am not that much of a stranger to you dear Kari..."**_

"_But...I don't even know who you are...or what you have to do in this..."_ Kari answered, a bit uncertain.

A low, saddened sigh was heard...

"_**I know you well, dear child...just as I know Regan well...Yes...I am well aware of the most recent turn of events regarding his fate...I felt it deep in my own heart...  
And I too cry for him...just as you cry for him...in your heart..."**_

Kari remained silent...before new tears started to flow from her eyes... "_I-Is it...Is it right for me t-that I...that I don't want him to be gone?"_ she started to ask, her voice shaky and troubled by her own sadness...

"_**Yes...it is...It is okay to cry Kari..."**_

Kari remained hesitant for a while...before she dropped on her knees, crying, her hands held to her face...

For a moment, nothing but the cries and sobs of Kari were heard in the void...The voice did not sought to interrupt...its own silence undersanding...

Then, finally...Kari started to feel warmth...and light...

As she started to wipe out her tears...she saw a great source of pure red light in front of her, illuminating the emptiness...

...And standing right in front of Kari was the silhouette of a tall and probably beautiful woman with long hairs...as the silhouette seemed to be made of the same light that was spreading out...  
...or rather...she was that light...she was that warmth...

The silhouette kneeled down closer to Kari... "_**It is okay to cry for him..."**_ it 'spoke'...

"_But..."_ Kari hesitated, looking at the female figure. "_Is it right for me to try to go after Regan? Isn't he truly lost?"_

The female figure remained silent for a moment...before it seemed to look a bit away. "_**That is something I am afraid you need to discover on your own..."**_

"_**But..."**_ The figure added before Kari could reply some sort of disapproving comment as Kari clearly felt only more disappointed by those words. "_**The true answer to that question of yours may lay in yourself, Kari Kamiya...Child of Light...**_

If your heart is truly strong...then you will know...

Good luck child...

Ragnarastrasz will not be an easy battle...nor will be the conflict of the minds, hearts and souls...

But you may be one of those few who could accomplish this miracle..."

And suddenly Kari found herself back within OrahAngewomon. It's as if barely a few seconds had just passed out.

"So Kari?" UltimaRyumon asked.

Kari gritted her teeth; closing her eyes...She knew the others were waiting her order...  
She was the leader now...

"_Forgive me Regan...I hope I won't be doing a mistake..."_ Kari thought...Then she yelled.

"Celestial Strike!"

Blasts and beams of holy power were unleashed at the red dragon, just as he had started to look behind him to see if those three were still following him.

Three of those beams struck the dragon, causing him to swerve before he dove down, evading the rest of the attack.

That action quickly caused the other two winged being, the armoured dragon and the large winged one to engage pursuit, before being followed by the angel one.  
It was clear they were hesitating about something...but now that the attack had been launched, they didn't want to hesitate anymore...

_So be it_ Ragnarastrasz though before he quickly dived down, into the city, beating on his large wings before he spun on himself as he turned, narrowly striking a skyscraper with his tail.

"We have to bring him above the city! There's no way we'll be able to attack him if he stays so low!" UltimaRyumon said as they pursued the dragon who kept snaking around the buildings.  
"But how are we gonna do that?" AmaKaisermon asked. "If we try attacking now, we might hit a building instead! Or worse, we could cause Ragnarastrasz to crash in one of them instead!"

"That's why we have to get in close, and quickly!" UltimaRyumon replied as be beat harder on his own wings, pushing ahead.

As he started to approach, Ragnarastrasz suddenly beat his wings back, spinning in the air as he then faced the digimon for a split-second.  
And during that moment, he unleashed a burst of flames right on them.

"Heaven Shield!" OrahAngewomon shouted, summoning out her pink energy shield to block out the flame blast. "You two hurry and get on him! We got to bring him back in the air before he could hit anything around instead!"

AmaKaisermon and UltimaRyumon nodded as they looked toward Ragnarastrasz who had quickly speeded up ahead after he had launched his fireball at the digimon.

Despite the presence of so many buildings around, the dragon somehow managed not to hit any of them as he kept snaking between them with ease and skill. It reminded Ragnarastrasz so much about old games that any dragons would play when they were young. The moment they could fly, they didn't hesitated to use their wings and fly around, dart in the mountains and their peaks, flying around the jagged edges...

Ironic that despite the unusual construction type of those buildings, it still brought up some familiarities to the dragon...  
But then a headache struck, the behemoth's vision blurred for a moment, as something else came in his mind.  
He saw a glimpse of a child...

Then his focus returned to normal...right as he was going to crash right into one of those buildings...  
With enormous efforts, Ragnarastrasz pushed hard on his wings, throwing his enormous mass upward in the air, flying straight up as his stomach nearly scraped the windows of the building...

He would need to get back low soon after that, but momentum was against him right now...  
Those three flying beings clearly seemed intent on keeping him high in the air to attack him, but the red dragon didn't so desire to let them play their games...

But what caused him to lose his focus like that for a second. Was one of them skilled in any sorcery?

Just as the dragon managed to evade the building as he flew right back above it, he prepared to quickly dive down into the 'forest' of buildings again...

...but suddenly an enormous blast of wind struck him, sending him tumbling upward...

"Good job AmaKaisermon! Keep hitting him like that and he won't be able to go down!" UltimaRyumon said.

"Heaven's Charm!" shouted OrahAngewomon, sending out a pink wave of energy flying from beneath the dragon, striking it to keep it aloft. The dragon grunted from the pain.

Those strange flying beings were quickly becoming a real nuisance now...  
Why was it that made them so intended to attack him when he helped them in destroying the black dragon earlier?

Ragnarastrasz reared his head...

"Watch out! He's going to breathe out fire!" UltimaRyumon warned out.

True enough as Ragnarastrasz unleashed a series of fireballs toward the three digimon as he started to veer off to return downward again.

UltimaRyumon and the other started to avoid the fireballs, but as soon as they started to near them. The fireballs exploded instead, releasing a huge mass of flames, forcing the digimon on the defensive.

With that, Ragnarastrasz knew they would have little chance to get back on him while he would take cover in the buildings again...

But his thoughts were cut off when he received a large punch in the face, causing him to be hurled upward...compliments of UltimaRyumon.

UltimaRyumon's body looked as if he had gone through a heavy mass of flames...yet even despite the apparent burns, the dragon knight digimon kept charging as if nothing happened.

Ragnarastrasz realized that this dragon being had charged right into the flames, even despite the fact that they would have harmed him!

"Enough of this! If you keep insisting, then I will have no choice but to destroy you!" Ragnarastrasz warned out to the three digimon.

"We're ready to take the risk!" AmaKaisermon replied out.

Risk? Risk for what?  
Had those beings become insane or what?  
The dragon quickly started to turn away again, hoping to force them into another chase!

"Stop!" OrahAngewomon yelled out.

And just as Ragnarastrasz had started to fly away, a blast of light exploded right in front of the dragon...before it opened wide into a large portal...

The blast of light blinded the red dragon as he went confused, and flew straight into the portal.

"No! He escaped!" AmaKaisermon said.  
"I don't think so..." UltimaRyumon replied.  
"Huh? You'd mean..." OrahAngewomon asked.

"That someone else opened the portal right in Ragnarastrasz's way...And I think there's only one person that could have done that..."

"Krasus..." OrahAngewomon muttered.  
"We have to go after Ragnarastrasz still!" AmaKaisermon added.. "Maybe Krasus made this portal so we'd go to a place where we can fight the dragon without any problems!"  
"That's what he'd be thinking, surely." UltimaRyumon replied before he went straight into the portal, and was soon followe by AmaKaisermon and OrahAngewomon...before the portal closed behind them...as Krasus stood upon the top of one of the skyscrapers, gazing at the location of the portal before he vanished as well...

---

Ragnarastrasz had just no idea of what just happened. A moment earlier he was in that human city then a portal opened right in front of him. Suprised, he had no chance to evade it...  
And now he found himself in a large canyon field of stones and rocks, with many place forming small mountains...

He did not knew what caused that portal to be opened, but maybe it could help him...  
Since these three beings were still insistent in fighting him, they would surely come through the portal...  
And Ragnarastrasz would be ready for them this time...  
This time, he'll make his stand...to take them out...

The three digimon quickly flew out of the portal which closed behind them.

"There isn't really a 'run back option' now." UltimaRyumon stated.  
"Doesn't matter." OrahAngewomon said. "That way Ragnarastrasz can't flee as well."  
"Well...maybe he's got a different plan now..." AmaKaisermon said, looking around the canyons, but seeing no traces of the dragon.  
"He knows he's cornered. He'll fight now...surely to the death..." UltimaRyumon said. Looking around darkly, he spoke again. "He's close...I can feel it..."  
"You're sure about that?" OrahAngewomon asked as she drew near to the other two digimon.  
"Yeah." The dragon knight replied. "I don't need any sorts of connection to Regan to even know that. He's close. I don't think it's his style to just run away. He'll fight."  
"Only one problem. Where is he?" AmaKaisermon asked.  
A deafening roar thundered right above them...as the large form of the red dragon fell upon them, having leapt from behind a hiding position behind one of the mountains. The enormous behemoth fell upon the trio, using his tail to strike UltimaRyumon with enormous force, sending him flying down, crashing in the flank of a mountain. AmaKaisermon didn't got lucky either as he was battered down by Ragnarastrasz's front paws, sending him crashing down in the canyon floors.

Which left only one still flying target for the dragon : OrahAngewomon.

The angel digimon quickly started to point her left hand at the dragon, but he quickly closed up the distance between them, forcing Orah to fly away just as Ragnarastrasz's maw came snapping the air where the angel was just a few moments ago.

OrahAngewomon quickly pulled back to get another firing position, but unfortunately, Ragnarastrasz quickly sped up again, nearing the angel digimon before slashing out at her, forcing her to evade once again, and go on the move.

"Ugh..." UltimaRyumon started to pull himself out of the mountain's flank, his mouth twisted into a frown as he looked upward, seeing the rather sinister aerial 'ballet' between the dragon and the digimon. Seeing how OrahAngewomon had to constantly move as she tried to get a firing opportunity, the dragon knight digimon frowned.

Seeing how Ragnarastrasz had just first attack made perfect sense now...The dragon wanted to put out the two digimon who were really skilled in melee fighting, at least as long as possible, before dealing out with the only digimon that wasn't really specialized in melee combat...

"Orah! Ragnarastrasz knows you're not good in close combat situations! That's why he went for us first! Try fighting at close range otherwise you won't be able to get any chances!" UltimaRyumon yelled.

In answer, as OrahAngewomon looked toward the dragon knight, Ragnarastrasz also turned his head at the digimon before breathing out a fireball on the mountain's flank, although he aimed at a position above UltimaRyumon.

The fireball exploded, detaching large portions of rocks that fell down on UltimaRyumon.

"Ultima!" OrahAngewomon yelled, before she quickly aimed out her right hand straight at Ragnarastrasz. A blast of white light poured out of her hand, striking the dragon straight in the face.

The dragon jerked before his attention returned straight on the angel...now making a very menacing growl...and showing his many teeth...

Despite the intimidating sight, Orah kept a determined expression, her hands glowing with holy energy.

A brief blast of energy exploded from the spot where UltimaRyumon had been buried.  
"It'll take more to keep an old warrior down..." he muttered, more to himself...before looking upward as now Ragnarastrasz kept pursuing Orah who now kept shooting brief bursts of light at the dragon whenever she could.  
His thoughts were briefly interrupted when a loose rock fell straight on his head, making the dragon knight cringe a bit.  
"You'll be owing us a big one when it's all over Regan..." UltimaRyumon said before he took off to the skies.

Ragnarastrasz kept trying to snap OrahAngewomon in two with his maw, but just kept him rewarded with blasts of lights on his long face. Unfortunately for the digimon, the dragon's scales were easily protecting him from those light attacks.

"_He's right...that's why Ragnarastrasz went straight for the other two first...because he knew I wasn't a good at close range..."_ Kari thought.  
"_Just because we might seemingly not be good at close range doesn't mean we might not be good at all Kari. Hell, I can do a lot in close range as Gatomon and Magnadramon, and I was able to deal out a good number on Lady Devimon too."_ Gatomon answered back.  
Kari smiled a bit more confidently. "_You're right Gatomon. If normal ways might not work, I guess we just have to improvise. I'm pretty sure both Lizomon and Regan would say it that way."_  
"_Good then! Shall we?"_ Gatomon asked on a sneakier tone.  
"_Of course!!!"_ almost happily.

As Ragnarastrasz lunged for another maw strike, OrahAngewomon suddenly rushed at him, flying right above the dragon's maw which opened before wide, yet the angel was able to fly above it before flying down straight on the dragon's head.

Realising what the angel would do, Ragnarastrasz started up a manuver...  
But Orah struck first. With a punch glowing with holy energy, she brought it down straight on the behemoth's head, who quickly winced from the strike, as much as it did brought up some pain in Orah's hand.  
Ragnarastrasz however quickly reared up its head, obviously done to take off the digimon from his head. The digimon fell down yes, but she let herself drop to go to the eye level of the dragon, now staring into one of its golden eyes...  
And after a full spin on herself, OrahAngewomon brought up a fully holy enhanced roundhouse kick right into the dragon's side of its head. That action clearly irritated the red dragon who started to pull back instead, its maw opened for a different kind of attack, just as Orah pulled back to...

...but instead, two other attacks came out.  
"Sky Spinning Lance!"  
"Strato Force!"

AmaKaisermon's charge and UltimaRyumon's energy ball struck right in the stomach of the behemoth, causing it to roar in pain as it pulled back more, trying to keep aloft.  
That was the opportunity Kari needed.

"Heaven's Charm!" she first yelled before summoning a wave of golden energy above her head which spread out into many particles of energy which started to fall down...but when they struck out the red dragon, he became partly stunned by the power.  
As an energy gateway opened right above OrahAngewomon, both AmaKaisermon and UltimaRyumon quickly realized what to do.  
"Tempest Rend!"  
"Strato Force!"

With that, they launched their attacks straight into the angel's portal which then flowed down on her...

Pointing her left arm at the dragon, the wings of the angel digimon's glove extended, taking the shape of a bow before the angel brought up a golden energy arrow with her right hand, pulling the arrow on her arm-bow.

"Regan...this is from us...Because we're still hoping you could hear us..." OrahAngewomon muttered.

"Destiny Arrow!" she yelled before releasing her hold on her bow, launching the golden arrow which expanded in greater size as it neared its target.

The dragon started to try to evade, but once again, the image of a boy flooded his mind, causing him to freeze in the air.

And soon after that, the arrow went straight through him...  
And when it happened, he saw how the boy looked like...  
It couldn't be...

OrahAngewomon stood a bit uncertain. True, her arrow had gone straight through the dragon, which was a surprising fact...but it didn't looked like the arrow had done any holes. It as if the dragon hadn't been harmed, but he was floating there in the air, in some sort of state of shock...

"Did you got him?" AmaKasiermon asked as he flew closer to OrahAngewomon, followed by UltimaRyumon.

"Yeah...I think I did...but something isn't right..."

Much farther, farther away from the battle, the silhouette of Krasus appeared on the edge of the canyons, standing immobile as it watched...

In Ragnarastrasz's mind, things weren't exactly going easily...  
The dragon wanted to get the boy off his mind, off of his current subjects, but it kept remaining, insisting. He couldn't cease thinking of him...and it was starting to make him angered...

He snapped, his gaze focused straight upon those who had surely done this to him : The three digimon.  
Somehow, he now knew what kind of beings they were, and their names...  
UltimaRyumon was the dragon knight, AmaKaisermon was the other one with great wings and a white sword while the angelic female digimon was OrahAngewomon...  
For some reason...he felt some sort of...interest toward her...there seemed to be a small part of him that was saddened at her...

NO! He didn't knew what that 'angel' had done on him, but she had surely tried to do some sort of spell to affect his mind! He wouldn't fall for it! He would not!

Ragnarastrasz unleashed a powerful roar of anger as his eyes fell straight on the digimon.

"It didn't worked...Move!" UltimaRyumon yelled as Ragnarastrasz breathed out a large stream of flame, causing the three digimon to fly off in different directions...

The angered behemoth flew straight into their midst, using his tail as a battering ram to spread them further as he launched more bursts of flames to separate the three digimon.

Then his eyes fell on OrahAngewomon. The moment he saw her, there was no doubt she saw him, and that she knew he would go at her.

"Hey Ragnarastrasz! Why don't you take on someone of your size eh?!?" a huge voice roared.

Ragnarastrasz turned to his left...only to see a large metallic form collide straight into him, sending him spinning in the air.  
"Strato Cannons!" the enemy yelled, shooting out energy blasts that hammered hard on his scaled hide, making his grunt from the attacks.  
Eyes cleared, Ragnarastrasz eyed the one that just attacked him...a large dragon...but made of metal...

Somehow, he knew his name was..._MetalRyumon_...Another form that UltimaRyumon could take.

MetalRyumon unleashed a defiant roar, to which Ragnarastrasz replied with a mighter roar of his own. MetalRyumon only added up to it, letting out an even stronger roar, as Ragnarastrasz followed up with an even stronger one.

The two dragons, metal and flesh glared at each other, golden eyes fixed upon the glowing blue ones...

And both rammed straight into each other, clawing and biting at the other.

"Did UltimaRyumon de-digivolved?" AmaKaisermon asked.  
"Obviously yes. He probably did that to face up Ragnarastrasz with a bigger size..." OrahAngewomon replied as she joined up closer to her Bio-Merged friend. "But at least it gives us another attack opportunity."

"Right! Tempest Rend!"  
"Destiny Arrow!"

And both digimon unleashed their attacks at Ragnarastrasz's back, hitting him squared as he roared in pain. MetalRyumon quickly took advantage to sink his maw right into the collarbone of the red dragon, which only made Ragarastrasz roar even more.  
But as he bit, he felt something odd...

His thoughts however were suddenly cleared out as Ragnarastrasz unleashed a powerful red blast of light from his body, which threw MetalRyumon backward and tumbling in the air.

But as he tumbled, he caught sight of Ragnarastrasz who was turning to face the other two digimon...but one second was just enough...to make a lock on...

"Inferno Cyclone Missles!" he roared, still spinning before he unleashed volleys of missiles in several directions...until they all righted themselves and went straight for their target...Ragnarastrasz.

The red dragon roared as the missiles exploded on his back. Looking back and forth, he eyed two Bio-Merged before looking at MetalRyumon. The metal dragon replied by opening several areas on his body, revealing out several cannons of various sizes on various parts of his body, finishing with revealing out one last cannon by opening his mouth.

Ragnarastrasz dived down just as MetalRyumon opened fire. The other two digimon also moved away, attempting to pursue the red dragon while evading the blasts from their digimon comrade.

Ragnarastrasz kept himself low as the blast kept pursuing him before regaining altitude before he retaliated with launched a wide flame breath on his attacker. MetalRyumon threw his wings back, moving his own position to evade the flames as he continued firing.

Ragnarastrasz now veered toward MetalRyumon, firing out bursts of flames, just as his opponent also unleashed short bursts of his cannons while charging at the red dragon.

The two neared each other...before there was a flash of light. Ragnarastrasz blinked as he swatted his paws toward MetalRyumon's head...only to find nothing...except UltimaRyumon who was standing a little further back in the air where MetalRyumon had been...with one hand raised and a large Strato Force ready to be thrown.

The digimon threw his energy ball straight on his target, causing it to explode on the dragon who roared out in pain before swatting away at the dragon knight who quickly evaded before flying away.

"Man, your moves were crazy back then!" AmaKaisermon said as he and OrahAngewomon neared him. "How did you managed to do that?"  
"And how did you just digivolved again?" OrahAngewomon asked.  
"Easy." UltimaRyumon replied. "De-digivolving was the easy part, then I just kept trying to keep him busy for a while, and when he neared me, I digivolved again to Mega."  
"But how could you do it if-" Orah started.  
"Regan's digivice is still there. He is still there...I could feel it. That's what made me digivolve again. I realized it when I bit Ragnarastrasz on his neck.  
His body...isn't...real...somehow..." UltimaRyumon said, a bit troubled.  
"Isn't real?" AmaKaisermon asked.  
"It didn't really seemed like it was made of flesh...but it seemed similar...yet more like if it was made more of energy..." the dragon knight explained. "I also felt out Regan's power inside him again...and the digivice too..."  
"So he's not gone...He's still there..." OrahAngewomon mettered.  
"You think Regan's fighting inside him?" AmaKaisermon asked, hopeful.  
"No..." UltimaRyumon answered darkly. "Regan had made the choice to sacrifice himself to let Ragnarastrasz return. He must still be within Ragnarastrasz, but he might not even be conscious..."  
"So, what do we do then?" Ama asked.  
"We have to open Ragnarastrasz to the truth..." OrahAngewomon answered.  
"Earlier when you struck him, we all noticed he seemed to be in pain...and I even noticed he seemed confused for a while...I think our attacks are causing him to relieve memories of Regan...and he's probably thinking we're trying to affect his mind somehow, which explains why he's getting even angrier." UltimaRyumon said.  
"And how can you know all that?!?" AmaKaisermon asked, rather surprised.  
"Just a hunch. And lots of experience too." UltimaRyumon replied.  
"He's coming! Watch out!" OrahAngewomon shouted.

Ragnarastrasz once again charged on them, forcing the digimon to spread out again.

As they did, the dragon focused on Orah again.

"Hey Ragna! Over here! Omni Sword!" AmaKaisermon yelled as he fell down upon Ragnarastrasz, bringing down his sword as well, striking the behemoth hard as he went spinning down.

And just as it happened, something flashed in the dragon's mind...  
He saw a vision of AmaKaisermon bringing down his sword on an ugly aquatic digimon called Dragomon...And along with AmaKaisermon, there was another digimon who had joined his blade to help...Some dragon knight, just like UltimaRyumon...

No...it was UltimaRyumon...called AtmaRyumon in that form...Only he wasn't just more evolved...he was...

NO! That was yet one of their tricks again!!!

The red dragon caught itself in the air, quickly regaining stability before flying upward again, going for AmaKaisermon this time. He swallowed a large amount of air before spitting out a very large fireball at his target, who moved away with great speed...  
The dragon's eyes narrowed as he smiled within...

The fireball exploded, sending out several smaller one that rushed like meteors straight on AmaKaisermon. Surprised, he was hit out by the whole burst, spinning wildly in the air.

As he tried to regain stability, AmaKaisermon saw the large maw of Ragnarastrasz getting closer...

"Celestial Strike!" only to see it flinch away, the dragon's trajectory going off as several holy blasts of energy went striking the side of its head.  
Instead however, AmaKaisermon was hit by one of the dragon's wings instead, sending him spinning away way off.

That was really getting dizzy now...

UltimaRyumon quickly dropped down upon one of the mountains, then stabbed his sword in the ground.  
With a roar, a large aura of power exploded around him, producing multi-colored flames around him. He then aimed his mouth and hands straight at Ragnarastrasz who was still trying to regain stability.

"Ultima Beam!!!" the digimon shouted, sending out beams from his hands and opened mouth which all combined together, forming a large beam which went straight for Ragnarastrasz...and exploded on him...

The dragon went down, in smoke, and crashed on the top of another mountain.

"Did we do it?!?" OrahAngewomon wondered as she saw Ragnarastrasz brought down. She also saw out of the corner of her vision UltimaRyumon going back to the air as AmaKaisermon had finally stabilized in the air.

Krasus watched, aware that right now, none of the fighters were actually capable of perceiving his presence.  
"No...not yet..." he muttered.

---

Ragnarastrasz's whole body ached as his head kept spinning; he shook his head briefly, in complete confusion.

As he did, something else flashed in his mind again...  
He saw the boy...with a girl...the girl had her hairs rather short, with a bang in front kept from falling in her face thanks to some hairpin...  
The two were dancing...  
It was a pleasant memory he had from...

NO! NO! AND NO!!! This couldn't be his memories! Whatever these digimon tried to do to his mind, they would never succeed! He was a..._**DRAGON!!!**_

And with those thoughts, his whole body seemed renewed of strength again as Ragnarastrasz raised up and unleashed a powerful roar.

"Don't tell me he's still not down?!?" AmaKaisermon said, in shock.

The dragon raised himself from the crashed peak and glared hard at the digimon.

He leapt from the air, going straight for them.

---

As Krasus saw Ragnarastrasz that seemed partly immobile for a while, he had thrust his mind forward, sending it plunging into the mind of the dragon...  
And the memories the dragon just experienced...the wizard saw them too.  
As he watched, Krasus also saw and felt the other memories the dragon had experienced.  
He knew the time had come.

And just as the dragon had started to rise up, beginning his roar, Krasus had raised a hand, starting to make strange gestures with it. As he did, he left a trail of blue energy with it...as he seemed to be writing something odd in the empty air in front of him...

And as he saw the dragon leap back in the air, going for the three digimon, Krasus paused as he had finished his odd writing.

And for a moment, he just remained there before speaking.

"No Kari. This time...I will act too." He said.

He then pushed on the glowing writing as he uttered a spell...

---

The three digimon knew they had to devise a new way to fight Ragnarastrasz as the dragon neared them.

But the attack never came. In mid-air, Ragnarastrasz froze...and screamed.  
He unleashed such terrible screams of pains that it made the digimon react in pure shock...  
And what was just as seemingly impossible too is that they saw Ragnarastrasz's whole body ripple as if he had been a body of water in which a stone had been thrown, the waves of the stone rippling out on the surface of the water.

And it was clearly a miracle that he had also managed to stay aloft as the rippling ceased and the dragon stopped screaming as he panted hard, looking completely aghast...

As the pain had surged into him...tons and tons of memories had suddenly surged into his mind and body, causing things he could barely imagine. He could barely understand it all as he saw countless of visions and memories, always seeing the boy in his mind. He couldn't shake it off. It was so persistent...and painful as he had tried to shake it off...

"What...what have you done to me?!?" Ragnarastrasz rasped, having a near maddened look as he glared straight at the three digimon.

"Huh?" The digimon were clearly rather confused about what had just happened. They were completely unsure what had just befallen the dragon right now.

"You..." the dragon spoke again, his gazed fixed on OrahAngewomon. "You're the one who did this to me!"

"I...I didn't do anything!" OrahAngewomon replied, as confused as the others.

"LIES!" the dragon roared. And with that, he rushed straight for her, roaring in pure fury. Only fury was visible in his gaze...Nothing else.

"Strato Force!"  
"Tempest Rend!"

Both the other two digimon shot at Ragnarastrasz, but the dragon didn't even evaded. He took the attacks head-on, barely flinching as he kept rushing for what he believe was the source of this sorcery.

As he neared, both AmaKaisermon and UltimaRyumon put themselves in front of a scared and confused OrahAngewomon, bringing their sword before them.

Ragnarastrasz barged right through them, using his large claws to throw them aside.  
At that moment, OrahAngewomon snapped from her fear, and moved away.

Both UltimaRyumon and AmaKaisermon tumbled in the air, unable to help.

Ragnarastrasz attacked with clear fury as he kept awfully close to OrahAngewomon, who, despite her best efforts, was unable to fly fast enough to distance the enraged behemoth.

As AmaKaisermon kept falling down into the bottoms of the canyons, UltimaRyumon struck another mountain flank, tumbling down from it as he too fell down, but he managed to briefly right himself...and stabbed the flank of the mountain with his sword. He slid down from several meters again before he was finally brought to a halt.

"Close call..." he muttered as he looked around. A few more meters and he would have been falling in the air again.

Righting himself up on the flank, UltimaRyumon looked upward, seeing Ragnarastrasz who pursued OrahAngewomon with an insane persistence.

UltimaRyumon started to growl. "Why Kari? I'm the one that has been with you for a long time Regan. We might not have always been on the best of terms with my attitude, but I do care for you as a friend! You shouldn't ignore me and leave Kari to be your only target!"

UltimaRyumon roared, and with that, a fiersome aura of multi-colored flames exploded around him, spreading out wide around him.

His eyes lost their red color as they filled with the same flames.

And with another roar, still bursting in flames, the dragon knight rushed straight into the air, straight for Ragnarastrasz.

The dragon was nearly upon her. Orah could easily feel the dragon's breath on her neck as he kept snapping and roaring at her.

And just nearly out of nowhere, UltimaRyumon came, blazing in flames of all colors...before he delivered the most powerful and surprising punch OrahAngewomon had ever seen.

The punch landed straight on Ragnarastrasz's side of his face...and sent him flying away like a meteor...before he crashed right into a mountain...burying into one flank before he exited out from the other side of the mountain...and ended his crash in the mountain behind.

"UltimaRyumon..." OrahAngewomon muttered. She was both awed and afraid of the powerful display the dragon knight had shown. And still, he was showing an expression that made both Kari and Gatomon shiver inside. He definitively looked in rage, yet with such a terrifying control as he seemed to use his rage like a weapon to enhance his power...

It didn't took long before a really powerful roar shook the entire canyon as Ragnarastrasz rocketed back into the air, now blazing in flames instead.

UltimaRyumon roared before he went for the other dragon, and the two collided into each other, sending the other back. As they did however, they quickly flew once again, seeing to ram the other again.

They looked like firey meteors. A small one of many colors against a large of pure red and flames...  
They kept hitting each other with immense fury.

"Can't you see me Regan?!? Can't you feel my pain, my rage?!? I'm there for you, as everyone is!!!" UltimaRyumon roared at his opponent.  
"Silence! I know nothing of what you speak small dragon! I am Ragnarastrasz of the Red Flight! I will not fall to your schemes! I fell once, and I will not do so ever again!!!" the other roared as they struggled against each other, shaking the air around them.

"_How can he do that?"_ Kari wondered, seemingly afraid.  
"_I have no idea...Just seeing it makes me shiver up to my whiskers..."_ Gatomon replied.

Even down on the ground, AmaKaisermon stood like a statue, watching with awe and fear the battle of the two dragons.

As for Krasus, he might have been a statue too...as he watched with his usual neutral expression...only with even more narrowed eyes...

"I've had enough!!!" Ragnarastrasz roared. "Take this!"  
He unleashed a large red shockwave at UltimaRyumon, throwing him back in the air.  
But instead of finishing his opponent, Ragnarastrasz turned at someone else...

OrahAngewomon.

He rushed at her with a deafening roar...however UltimaRyumon was hot on his heels.  
"You won't get her!!!" he roared.  
Ragnarastrasz ignored him, still going for OrahAngewomon who just remained frozen in fear.  
At the last moment, she summoned up her 'Heaven's Shield', but it might have been empty air...for Ragnarastrasz shattered right through it, catching OrahAngewomon in the process...  
"No!!!" UltimaRyumon yelled. With one last roar, he unleashed the entire aura he had into a large Strato Force and hurled it straight at the dragon.

So obsessed with his target Ragnarastrasz was that he didn't noticed the enormous Strato Force...until it exploded on him.

With a roar, Ragnarastrasz fell down from the skies...yet still holding OrahAngewomon in his paw.

"Let me go! You'll kill us if you just fall!" she shouted.  
"You won't escape me this time..." the dragon muttered instead.

Both AmaKaisermon and UltimaRyumon watched as t he dragon plummeted from the skies...and crashed in the canyons with a loud thud which resonated in the canyons. Both rushed straight for the crash area...

As they arrived...they saw a battered Ragnarastrasz...standing on his four legs. He seemed content...even triumphant...as he pinned an even more battered OrahAngewomon down.

"Stand down you two...or she will perish." The dragon said as he glared at the two digimon.

Uncertain, the two knights lowered their swords.

Ragnarastrasz grinned, satisfied.

"Why do you keep doing this?" asked a weakened OrahAngewomon.  
"I will not fall prey to your games, sorceress!" Ragnarastrasz replied loudly, his snout coming close to the downed angel. "I will not fall prey to those fabricated memories!"  
"This isn't a game Ragnarastrasz...Those memories are real...and they're a part of you...of what you should be..."  
"Lies! I am no human! I am certainly not this so-called 'Regan' as you keep repeating. I am Ragnarastrasz! I am a red dragon!" he replied loudly, opening his wings and displaying out a proud stature.  
"You look more like a black dragon to me than a red right now Ragnarastrasz..." OrahAngewomon said.  
Ragnarastrasz blinked. He threw his maw down at the angel again.  
"And what would you know of the blacks in any case?"  
"That the reds and blacks are enemies of each other...The red...They are protectors, guardians even...of Life...  
The blacks were noble...but they don't protect anymore...They care only for themselves.  
The reds would be understanding the importance of mortals...They wouldn't be only caring for their sorry hides like you right now!"

Ragnarastrasz started to look dumbfounded. He clearly didn't expected the angel to actually know those things...

"Is this real what she's saying?" AmaKaisermon asked at UltimaRyumon.  
"It is. The reds are the guardians of Life...And Regan is connected to them...as the Child of Life...But he's more connected to what they protect rather than the dragons themselves...like all dragons should be in fact..."  
"So...do you mean that Regan was a dragon all along?!?" AmaKaisermon asked, shocked.  
"No...it's a lot more complicated than that." UltimaRyumon replied darkly.

"Look at yourself Ragnarastrasz! At what you're doing! You're attacking innocent humans who only want to help their friend...because he didn't deserved what happened to him!!!"  
"And what would this even have to do with me in the first place, mortal?" Ragnarastrasz said with a loud growl. Yes, he now realized what these digimon were...Two of them at least. One was a normal digimon...although holding a great power within...The other two were in fact the willing union of a digimon and a human friend...or partner as they would say...

"You shouldn't be alive anymore Ragnarastrasz! You should be dead, just like Ragnarok has said earlier! You died long ago! Don't you remember that?!?"  
"What?!? He died?!?" AmaKaisermon said.  
Ragnarastrasz remained silent for a while...not gazing at the angel... "I do remember...I do remember I died...But if I am alive once again by some unknown miracle, I do not want to throw that new life away.  
Life is an important gift mortal, and it is something you should understand."  
"Then can you understand that as long as you live you're destroying an innocent?!?" OrahAngewomon pleaded.  
"An innocent?!? How?" Ragnarastrasz replied.  
"Can't you understand?!? You would surely know! You can surely feel him inside you!" OrahAngewomon said. "If you just won't feel him...then I'll help you see him!" she added...before she started to glow of a white light...which exploded, causing everyone else to shield their eyes...

---  
Kari once again found herself in that same 'darkness'...Although this time she was dressed as what she would normally look like. Not when she would be 'naked' in Bio-Merge...  
But this time...she knew where she was...  
Within Ragnarastrasz...  
She looked around, looking for what she needed to find...If she did, he would surely understand-  
There! She felt it faintly, but it was there!  
She ran in that direction before stopping. It was now right in front of him...  
Hesitantly, she reached out...  
And a burst of red light poured out, causing her to fall back on the 'ground'.  
She shielded her eyes for a moment before finally be able to see...and gasped at what she saw...  
The Crest of Life. She saw the symbol floating right in front of her, at a rather large size...  
And hung on it, like on a cross...was Regan...although he barely looked visible now...almost a ghost...

"Regan!!!" she said.  
But before she could reach out to him, someone else spoke.  
"So...this is him?"  
She looked behind her to see...another Regan...  
But he was different. He had a more serious, older look in his eyes...and he had pointed ears, just like Krasus. His clothes weren't entirely the same either. They were the same colors...but they were of a medieval-aged style instead...  
But Kari knew it was Ragnarastrasz.

"This is Regan?" the 'older' Regan said.  
Kari stood up, and looked straight at the other Regan. "Yes, it's him. Regan Astrasz."  
"Ironic...Odd that he uses such a similar name..."  
"So you do remember?"  
"Yes...somewhat..." the other Regan said, his hands in his pockets. "I can remember those memories as if they had been mine...and yet they are not...It's just so confusing and disturbing at the same time...just as it makes all the difference...  
I understand...and yet I don't..."  
Suddenly, images flashed everywhere around them, images that were clearly various moments of Regan's memories, from his birth to childhood...to the present...

"It appears that you are important in his heart apparently..." the other Regan spoke.  
Instantly, all the images changed, turning into moments that clearly looked like events in the Digital World...mainly with Regan and Kari as the main focus...  
"I know..." Kari said a bit hesitantly as she saw Ragnarastrasz stop the flash of memories to fix upon one of them...One she dreadfully knew about...

She saw herself...dying...And a very weakened and wounded Regan was holding her hand...

"_Kari! Don't die! We still need you...I...need you..."_ said a disembodied voice echoing everywhere...Regan's voice.

Kari saw herself smile weakly at the panicked and worried Regan.  
"_I know...I needed you too...why hadn't I noticed it before? Perhaps that without you...I might have not come that far...Thank you Regan..."_ the Kari in the memories said. Seeing herself like that, dreadfully remembering that day...made Kari shiver...tears slowly coming at the edge of her ears.

"_No, Kari! Please stay! It'll...It'll be alrigh-"_ the voice of Regan said in the memories, but it got interrupted...by Kari.

"_Regan...please take care of the other Digidestined...go help them, and save the others...and the Digital World..._

You're a Digidestined...just like me...as great as me...

I've just done what I had to do...that's all..." The memory Kari said again...and her eyes closed...passing out, her strength drained.

The memory Regan screamed.  
"_N...N...No...i-it can't...be...KAARRRIIIIIIIIII!!!"_  
He kept screaming after that, in pain and sadness...  
But then he suddenly rose...as if he had never been harmed. He looked straight at the digimon that had killed Kari...The dragon Deva Majiramon.

"_You...you...  
__**MONSTER!!!**__"_ Regan screamed at Majiramon. But his last word came out darker...as the eyes of Regan turned red and pupiless...

Then Regan started to utter out dark words of unknown origin and power...  
A tag with a red crest around Regan's neck started to emit sparks of red electricity...  
...And a large dragon made of flames and blood poured itself out of the ground behind Regan...

"And that is how that beast you called Ragnarok resurfaced then..." the other Regan commented as he watched the memories.  
Kari could barely hold it as she saw those memories...Yet...she was still looking...

The memory Regan barked out a single alien word, and the flame beast unleashed out a large breath of flames at Majiramon. Eyes wide in fear, the digimon waved before engulfing itself in flames...and vanished right before the ground where he stood was baked in dark flames...

The memory Regan kept remaining immobile...his face in pure rage...until his fist shook...and the flame dragon suddenly screamed before exploding.  
At that moment, the memory Regan fell on his knees, looking around uncertainly.  
"_Huh? What happened? Where is the Deva?!?"_ the memory Regan muttered to itself, worried. He looked at the memory Kari again before taking her hand...sensing her heart pulse was fading fast...

"_No...Kari...why do you have to die?!?"_ the memory Regan said before yelling "_Somebody please help meeeeeeeeeee!!!!!"_

No one answered as Regan looked down, defeated, the rain starting...

Then...a golden glow appeared before the memory Regan and Kari...  
And as Regan looked at that glow, he gasped at what was within...  
Before him stood...Ragnarastrasz.

The 'human Ragnarastrasz' only frowned a bit as he saw himself, still watching the memories...

The memory Ragnarastrasz stared at Regan and Kari for a while...before fixing its gaze on Regan...and his eyes glowed golden...before Regan's eyes glowed as well, becoming empty of expression...  
Regan put a hand on his chest just as he put the other one on Kari's...then closed his eyes...  
And a gentle red glow spread out from Regan to Kari, enveloping them both...  
And then new wounds appeared out on Regan's body...  
Ragnarastrasz then vanished, leaving the two...as Regan kept having new wounds...and then Kari's chest started to rise slowly...and fall again...  
Regan was giving his own life force to heal and save Kari...  
Then Regan screamed, looking in the air...before he collapsed on the concrete, bleeding...  
Moments later, Majiramon came walking in the area, looking at the two Digidestined...

"_Well...seems I've killed two birds with one stone...and this makes less troubles for the Devas...This is really a good day...washed in the blood of two dying Digidestineds..."_ the Deva said, smiling darkly.

"_May you go in whatever afterlife there is for you humans..."_ he added before vanishing...

And the memories turned black after that...and the real Kari collapsed on her knees, tears in her eyes.

"Why did you showed me that?!?" she said, looking at the 'human' Ragnarastrasz.  
"As I said, it seems you are important to him...Is he _that_ important to you?" the other Regan said.  
"...Yes..." Kari finally answered, slowly wiping her tears.  
"Important enough so that you would attack a dragon?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.  
"A dragon that should be dead." Rectified Kari. "You died countless years ago Ragnarastrasz. You should remember that. You're only 'alive' right now because Regan did that sacrifice thing-"  
"Because he wanted to protect you and the others, and put an end to Ragnarok...even if it meant his own existence would be gone in the process..." the other Regan interrupted.  
"And yet despite that, he's still there?"  
"He seems...persistent...No...  
There is one thing that prevented him from truly disappearing apparently..." the other Regan said.  
"And that thing...is you...Kari Kamiya."  
Kari said nothing.  
"Out of pure instinct, his...'soul'...as if we could even call it that way...Well, his 'soul' still persist to exist." The other Regan said, frowning more. "And now because of him and you attack me, his memories keep surging into me!"  
"Because we want him back!" Kari said nearly angrily, new tears coming at her eyes.  
"At the cost of my existence? You do realize that I can be an important and powerful being, Kari Kamiya. I am a dragon after all."  
"Regan is important too! Not just for me, but for everyone else! He helped many, many people all around him so much that we can't just let him go like that!"  
"That many?" Ragnarastrasz asked. "All I see is one rather persistent girl in front of me."  
"Now I'm starting to wonder if I shouldn't get rid of you so that this way I will be finally be free..." Ragnarastrasz pondered.  
Kari briefly stepped back in fear, but then tried to reassure herself. "You wouldn't dare to do that. That kind of thinking would be completely against everything the Red Dragonqueen taught you and your Flight."  
Ragnarastrasz started. "...How can you know so much about my own kind?"  
"Because Regan and I learned rather much thanks to another of your kind...and from the Queen herself. She came to us, to save our lives once, to Regan and me.  
And besides that, I'm sure you're familiar with someone by the name of...Krasus?" Kari said, new confidence growing again.  
Ragnarastrasz grew brooding...then his eyes looked aside...troubled. "So it was him...He's the one responsible for this state..."  
"Yes..." Kari said. "And he told us we could get Regan...if we defeated you..."  
"But you don't entirely trust him, aren't you?" the Regan said.  
"...Yeah..." Kari said, looking down. "With everything that happened, and he keeps putting on that neutral 'face' and just saying he's sorry too...and that he does nothing as well..."  
"Wrong...Now I think I realize something that happened..." the Regan said.  
"The spell that struck me and caused so many memories to suddenly overflow my mind wasn't caused by you...but by him..."  
"What?!? What do you mean?!?" Kari asked.  
"He is nearby in this place...He must have been watching the whole battle, preparing himself...It looks like he wasn't as idle as you thought..."

"Indeed not." Another voice intruded.  
Both humans looked aside them to see a new figure coming...and it was none other than...  
"Krasus..." Kari said. "You were in this too?"  
"...Wiseful One..." Ragnarastrasz said, bowing slightly to the taller figure of the elder mage.  
"Yes Kari...I had been there the whole time you fought Ragnarastrasz. And indeed, I am the cause for the immense pain and memories you had Ragnarastrasz..."  
"As it probably has been indeed...Only you can be so skillfull..." the Regan said. He then looked at Kari with a bit of a suspecting look.  
"She knows everything." Krasus suddenly said.  
The Regan look at Krasus. "All of it?"  
"Yes. She knows who I really am...just as Gatomon, Lizomon and Regan..."  
"But not these...Tamers..." the Regan said. "Still...why are you doing this Wiseful One? Aren't you pleased to see me alive once more?" he asked...starting to look more pleading...

Krasus remained silent before looking a bit away...He seemed very troubled...which only worried Kari...  
"Yes...it does make me happy Ragnarastrasz...just as it pains me..." Krasus said.  
"What?" the Regan said, a bit dumb-founded. "But...you are the one that brought me to life again, aren't you not?"  
"It was the only way that could be done to defeat Ragnarok. I believe you know the reasons why right now, Ragnarastrasz."  
"Yes..." the Regan replied.  
"I am afraid to say that I am grieving for Regan as much as his friends, Ragnarastrasz..."  
"...You would sacrifice me for him?" the Regan asked.

"It is not our right to twist and turn Life in ways to bring out Immortality or return life to those who are not meant to be alive anymore...You should know that well Ragnarastrasz..."  
"I do..." the Regan said, looking down.  
"Ragnarastrasz, I can understand how troubling it is...however, unlike perhaps any other living beings, you have been given an opportunity, a state unlike few ever had...  
You are dead, just as you are not...but in all of this...you have always been alive, alive within Regan Astrasz, as he often called out to you, summoning your presence and powers."  
The Regan remained silent. Kari took a look at the 'real' Regan who still hung at the symbol of the Crest of Life...He still looked as 'ghostly' as he was...  
...or maybe even more...  
She started to realize they might not have much time left!!!  
And Krasus seemed oblivious to it...  
She tried to speak out...but no voice came out of her mouth. In complete shock and horror, Kari realized that either Krasus or Ragnarastrasz had done that so they would only be able to talk face-to-face...and her only being able to observe.  
She pushed at Krasus, only to have her hand fall right through him as if he was a ghost...or as if she was the ghost...  
Kari started to realize that her own efforts in trying to be within Ragnarastrasz and affect him were starting to put a serious toll on her...and these were the reasons why she was starting to be unable to do anything...

"Opportunity? Honestly Krasus, if you call that an opportunity, then I must say I am rather troubled at this." The Regan said.  
"Then you would be willing to sacrifice more innocents than only 'yourself'?" Krasus asked.  
The Regan paused, a bit troubled.  
Kari did not understand either...but she didn't started to feel well...she had trouble breathing...standing as well...  
Were they talking about her?!?  
In fear, Kari tried to will herself back to OrahAngewomon...but she found herself unable to.  
She was stuck here... 'dying' within the dragon...

"It might be an odd twist of fate, but isn't it ironic that Regan and Kari looks rather similar...to yourself...and Vernalia?" Krasus said.  
"Yes..." the Regan said. "I found that rather odd..." he said, a bit troubled.  
"Then are you willing to let that 'other' Vernalia die as well?"  
"What?!?"  
"Ragnarastrasz...You are killing her as we speak..." Krasus said, his eyes narrowing.  
"What?!?" the Regan started to look around, then saw Kari on her knees...and saw she barely looked able to breathe. She looked at him with a scared look...and pleading...  
"Maybe she should die..." the Regan darkly said.

"_NO!!!"_  
Something threw the 'human' on the floor before it grabbed Kari by her neck...and Kari found herself able to breathe again...  
Looking behind her...she gasped as she saw Regan...although still nothing but a ghost...  
"...Regan?!?" Kari said, in a still weakened voice.  
"You shouldn't be here! Go!" the 'real' Regan said. His voice barely echoing...  
"How is this possible?" the 'other' Regan rose, looking at his ghost helping Kari back on her feet before it glared at him.  
"Didn't you say it earlier Ragnarastrasz? You said that Regan would not disappear because of Kari...but I'm afraid that would be a mistaken assumption."  
"How so?" the 'other' Regan said.  
"Because it is not only her that holds him tightly in this world..." Krasus answered.  
And then Ragnarastrasz saw Lizomon appearing some distance to the others.  
"I am not letting my partner go away like that! You heard me?!?" Lizomon said.  
"Lizomon?!?" Kari said.  
"Well...you could say I'm Lizomon...but I'm a lot more as well...  
Call me a bit more of Regan's personality...in many ways..." the Lizomon said with a smirk.  
"Ragnarastrasz, there is far more than what you know...Regan's existence _is_ important..." Krasus said.  
Ragnarastrasz kept eyeing the 'real' Regan, Kari and Lizomon with some shock.  
"And how important?" he said.  
"I was hoping that one day...he might be a bridge..." Krasus muttered.  
"Isn't that...insane?" Ragnarastrasz said.  
"Maybe...Or maybe just a fool's hope..." Krasus simply replied.  
Then...Kari started to realize something as she stared at Ragnarastrasz as he kept arguing at Krasus while 'Regan' and 'Lizomon' kept glaring at their 'other self'.  
At first...she thought he wanted to destroy her out of hate...  
But it wasn't that...and now that she realized what it was...she felt _pity_ for the dragon...

"You're afraid..." Kari sadly muttered. But the others heard her. Ragnarastrasz looked at her rather dumb-founded.  
"You're afraid to die..." she continued. "Afraid that you will be nothing...  
But Krasus is right, you shouldn't be afraid at all about that..." she added, and started walking toward him.  
Ragnarastrasz started to walk backward, away from Kari.  
"But there's nothing you should really be afraid of..." Kari said, continuing to approach, looking saddened.  
Ragnarastrasz kept walking backward...before he bumped into something...or rather...several persons...

Regan, Lizomon Kylee, Impmon, Riza, Veemon...and even Kari and Gatomon...And it went on, as other boys and girls also appeared, some Ragnarastrasz belately recognized as other friends of Regan, in various ways...as his eyes fell upon a shorter, younger one that was wearing a red pair of shorts and a blue t-shirt, who had a Dorumon besides her...  
Regan's sister...Narika Astrasz.  
"Please Ragnarastrasz...let me show you..." Kari said as she neared the dragon in human appearance...and took his hand...before everything went white...

And Kari found herself floating in an emptiness of white and red...and saw the large form of Ragnarastrasz...in his true dragon form floating in front of him.  
The dragon had its eyes closed.  
"...What is the meaning of this?" Kari looked beside herself to see _another_ Ragnarastrasz, as a dragon too, floating besides her.  
"What lies at the core of Regan..." Kari said. "Is you."  
"Me?" Ragnarastrasz said. "How is it possible?"  
"Don't you know it yourself? You should know after all..." Kari said, a bit saddened as well.  
The dragon approached 'itself' hesitantly...before touching it...Nothing happened, yet the awakened dragon blinked, a bit surprised.

"I...remember..." he spoke in a hazard tone. "I remember...the calls...his calls..."  
"Regan's?" Kari asked.  
The dragon nodded. "I remember...every of them...everything that happened...including when we fought Ebonwumon together..."  
"Please don't remind me about that..." Kari replied a bit sadly, looking aside.  
"I was not entirely conscious, in a sense...yet I was...alive..."  
"Isn't that what Krasus had been meaning all along?" Kari said. "That despite that you are 'dead', you have always been alive, as Regan's shadow?"  
"Yes..." Ragnarastrasz muttered. "But...even then I was barely anything..."  
"You did grow in power as Regan slowly discovered the truth about what he is..." Kari said, a bit sadly.  
"Yes...And I can remember how shattered he was when he discovered the truth about what he is...

A human in body...  
A dragon in soul...  
Yet...with an incomplete soul..." Ragnarastrasz said. "He was birthed as a human...but his soul had been my own...only a fragment of it...That is what he is...Not truly human...

I understand why you are so helpful and kind to him Kari Kamiya..." Ragnarastrasz said. "Because you know how it feels to be considerably different from others...In your case...being the holder of such an unusual Crest..."  
"But I know I'll never be as unusual as Regan...that's why I want to help him...as best as I can...  
It's what a friend would do after all..." she added, holding her hands together.

Ragnarastrasz slowly smiled...kindly...and brought a claw to Kari's face...and caressed it in a surprisingly gentle manner.  
"You _do_ care for him, child..." the dragon spoke.  
"...Yes..." Kari hesitantly answered...  
"Such a beautiful face..." the dragon whispered.  
"Much like...Vernalia's...isn't it?" Kari said.  
The dragon removed his claw, looking a bit hesitant. He clearly seemed a bit embarrassed.  
"...Yes...she too was beautiful..." he said, letting out a saddened sigh...then he seemed to realize something. "Yes...I made my goodbyes to her already...I remember that too now...  
...and I remember how she cried out when I faded away..."  
"I know...Regan told me about it..." Kari said, a bit saddened. "I'm...I'm just so sorry about that we've been attacking you the whole time...and I hadn't really reminded myself about the harsh things you had in your life...  
"A harsh beginning, heralding to a life of glory and power." Ragnarastrasz said. "That it how it has always began for dragons."  
"But you never got that..." Kari said.  
"No...but I still got things that truly mattered to me...despite my youth..." the dragon said, then started to let out a human-like chuckle...so similar to how Regan would let out one too...  
"How ironic...I sound so old right now...despite that I wasn't even a millennia old! How ironic!" the dragon said, almost laughing happily about it.  
"But you're still alive now Ragnarastrasz...You are alive through Regan..."  
The dragon mused Kari's words, rubbing the lower half of its maw with one paw, almost thoughtful. "True...It is only a shame I was never been able to do much for him...I have only been his shadow...If only I could be more."  
"Maybe you could be more, despite that you would be his shadow." Kari said. "Doesn't Life always find a way after all?"  
"...True Kari Kamiya...True words indeed..." the dragon said, and looked at her deeply. "Regan Astrasz is indeed very lucky to have one such as yourself to care for him..." the dragon said.  
Kari looked a bit sideway...and smiled slightly...along with her cheeks turning slightly red.  
"I think he's right. You would probably make an excellent mate for him." Ragnarastrasz said.  
This time Kari's cheek burst out in full red as she looked shocked. "W-What?!?"  
The dragon laughed. "I was pondering old words from Regan's memories. About his comrade Lizomon saying that you would make an excellent wife for him. Of course in his usual nature Regan denied rather angrily."  
Kari only blushed more at that.  
"Maybe Lizomon could be right on this. You would make an excellent mate for him."  
"C-Could you stop it?!??!" Kari said, still blushing a lot as she looked uncertain, then looked worried. "Regan!!! The longer we're there like this, won't he-"  
"At ease...I am preserving his existence instead of trying to erase it now..." Ragnarastrasz said, raising a paw calmly.  
Kari sighed in huge relief. "Thanks..."  
"No...I should be the one thanking you, child. You opened my eyes to the truth when I was blind to it, and foolishly ignoring to see it. Your Light can indeed guide many...even powerful ones...  
Thank you, noble Kari Kamiya, noble Child of Light..." the dragon said...as he bowed to Kari.  
Kari looked only a bit hesitant to that. "But...what now?" she said a bit hesitantly. "To bring Regan back...it mean...you have to..." she said, but did not ended her sentence.  
"I will not die. I will be in his shadow after all." Ragnarastrasz said with a powerful, determined expression. "And if I can, I shall seek to be more, for his sake.  
As much as we are different he and I, we are the same, brothers in soul. It is only fair I would seek to protect my younger 'brother' then."  
"But Krasus...he sent us after you..."  
"He did that because he knew you could open me to the truth...He is quite wise...and once again, his plan worked well." Ragnarastrasz said.  
"No...Regan can't be back..." Kari said.  
"Not yet." Ragnarastrasz insisted.  
"But now...I'm not sure if I even want to kill you..." Kari said a bit hesitantly..."Maybe no one else will..."  
"No one else will indeed...because it is my responsibility to do this act."  
"What?!?" Kari asked.  
"It was Regan Astrasz who willingly sacrificed himself for me...As his soul brother, it is my duty to do the same for him..." Ragnarastrasz said.  
"No, wait!" Kari said.  
"Farewell Kari Kamiya." The dragon simply said, and his eyes glowed...before they seemingly engulfed all of Kari's vision...

And Kari found herself right back in OrahAngewomon...still held by Ragnarastrasz's paw.  
The dragon suddenly removed his paw from Kari, stepping back.

Both UltimaRyumon and AmaKaisermon looked unsure, yet ready to attack.  
"Wait! Don't do anything!" OrahAngewomon said.  
"What?!?" AmaKaisermon asked confused.  
"Very well..." UltimaRyumon said with a nod. One look at OrahAngewomon and he realized something had happened.  
"...How long was I out?" OrahAngewomon asked.  
"How long?" UltimaRyumon asked. "It was barely a second after you did that flash, and now Ragnarastrasz doesn't look like he wants to attack us at all!"

In just one second all those complex things had just happened in Ragnarastrasz's mind?  
Kari thought that she might never really be able to understand all about the mind...  
Maybe that's a good thing...

"Kari Kamiya..." Ragnarastrasz spoke. "To you, and all of your friends, I would want to deeply apologize for my reckless actions. I was foolish ignorant of the truth...  
But I also want to thank you for having aided me in defeating Ragnarok."  
"But...what about Regan...We fought you because we want him back." AmaKaisermon said.  
"I know. I know everything there is to know now. You don't have to worry about that Riza Ryuzaki." The dragon said.  
"H-How do you know my name?!?" AmaKaisermon said, stepping back in confusion.  
"Warrior UltimaRyumon...or Lizomon as you may be. I would like to thank you for being such a strong mentor and friend to Regan. It is only a shame we cannot truly be able to know more of each other..."  
"I don't think that's necessary..." UltimaRyumon said. "You are, in a sense, Regan, just as you aren't him...And if you know everything that happened between Regan and I, then you already know me as well as I know you."  
The red dragon nodded.  
"Kari Kamiya...I would have one last request to ask upon you." The red dragon said.  
"...What is it?" OrahAngewomon hesitantly asked.  
"Please take good care of Regan for me. And tell him I will always be a part of him...as I always was." Ragnarastrasz said.  
"...I will..." OrahAngewomon replied.

Suddenly, the red dragon raised his right paw high in the air...and it started glowing with red energy.

"Wait! What are you-" AmaKaisermon started.  
Then Ragnarastrasz brought down his clawed paw...in his own chest.  
His own paw ripped through his own body, breaking apart the chest...just as it seemed that no blood, no true wound was opened...The dragon seemed to be struggling not to scream...and by judging by his rather pained expression...it wasn't easy...  
With great effort, Ragnarastrasz suddenly pulled free his claw from his chest, which seemed to close up as if no wound had been done...  
...from himself the dragon had pulled out what seemed like the large fragment of a large red crystal...before he hurled it far away...and fell down...shattering in pieces...  
The dragon then let out some gurgling and gruesome pained noises...before he closed his eyes and calmed himself...

Then he glowed of a fierce red aura which soon enveloped him fully, slowly hiding him from view...  
As the red light started to engulf him, he opened his eyes, looking at all of the three digimon...

And in their minds, all of them heard the dragon speak out one last time...

"_Thank you..."_

Then the red light exploded, forcing everyone to look away.

As the light faded, all three of them hesitantly looked back at where the dragon was...only to find him gone...

Instead...there was one small figure lying down on its stomach...a figure mostly hidden by a brown cloak...

"...Regan..." OrahAngewomon muttered.  
All three of them hurried up to their friend before UltimaRyumon slowly turned him over...

It was indeed Regan.  
He was back.

"...Mmm...The pulse seems rather weak..." UltimaRyumon said.  
"We should bring him to a hospital quickly then." AmaKaisermon said.  
OrahAngeomon noticed a bright flash of blue light above them...and saw a large blue portal that appeared out...  
"Let's go back now...and bring him to a hospital...I'm sure Kylee must be worried right now..." OrahAngewomon said as she gently picked up Regan who didn't reacted at all.

She stared at him for a while, as Kari reflected one the many words the dragon Ragnarastrasz had said...  
Yes...he was right...  
The dragon was Regan's shadow...

"Kari?" UltimaRyumon asked, snapping Kari out of her thoughts.  
"Let's go..." she said, taking off to the skies, followed by the others.  
And as they all cross in the portal to bring them home to Phoenix City, it closed behind them...

...And further away, in the grounds of the canyons...the remains of the large crystal fragment had shattered...many shards spread everywhere...  
They suddenly all glowed...before they slowly started to rise out...going all together in the same direction...

...toward a gray cloaked figure that held its hand waiting...

The shards all slowly floated up to Krasus' hand before they slowly melded together...reforming the large crystal fragment flawlessly...

"You had the opportunity of a new life...but you understood the true needs Ragnarastrasz..." Krasus muttered as he gazed at the red crystal which slowly spun in his hand.

"I am proud of you..." the wizard added before he closed his hand...and the crystal vanished, gone to where Krasus had been hiding it all along...  
With that, the wizard himself also disappeared...  
There were now a few more loose ends to tie up that remained to be dealt with...  
...such as the Tamers that would be desiring to know the truth...


	16. One’s Life’s Tragedy

"_In my very long existence, I have lived through many things, shared many experiences, and witnessed events beyond the eyes and understanding of most living beings..._

I have seen and experienced things that were both wonderful and terrible...  
Thus...I can truly say that the events surrounding the history of the dragon Ragnarastrasz are far from being kind ones...

This... is a story.

The story...of One's Life's Tragedy...

Ragnarastrasz's Tragedy...which ultimately led to Regan Astrasz's very own tragedies in the making...

A story that now the two Tamers will be desiring to know...only to understand how grim it is..."

**Chapter 16 : One's Life's Tragedy, the story of the Child of Life**

It took a while for her senses to start registering anything around her, having passed out since a long while ago...

And it made her curious when a comfortable silence greeted her ears...and realizing that she was lying on a bed.

She opened her eyes...and found herself in what was clearly a hospital room.  
"Kylee!" a familiar voice spoke.

Kylee looked toward the speaker, who was none other than Riza, looking greatly relieved.  
"Hey Riza..." she muttered, sounding a bit weak. "What happened? Hold on...yeah I remember...Darius brought me here..."  
"Yeah he did." Veemon added, climbing on the bed. "We just all came here when it was over."  
"Over?" Kylee asked, uncertain. Then she noticed how ragged Veemon was. He clearly looked like he had been through a rough one, and Riza too looked rather worn down.

Kylee started to fully rise up to a sitting position in a sudden, only to feel some pain from her body which clearly protested against the sudden movements.

"Regan! That dragon! Did he-" she suddenly talked, panicked.

"It's over..." someone else said. It was Kari.

Kylee looked toward where the sound of the voice came from, a bit to her left...  
She saw Kari sitting in a chair besides another hospital bed. She looked considerably more wearied than Riza was, while Gatomon also looked a lot tired.  
And Lizomon was lying on the bed, apparently bearing out several burn marks which were slowly healing. Chances are that he too had been heavily worn down as well...

And in the bed...was Regan.

"You did it...You guys did it..." Kylee spoke.

"Yeah...it wasn't easy..." Riza said. "But...we didn't do all of it on our own..."

"Krasus was there all along, watching our moves. He had been waiting for his own moment to strike...And even after that...when we had finally brought back Ragnarastrasz to his senses...we just couldn't do it...we couldn't kill him...  
So he did it himself. Ragnarastrasz...'killed' itself..." Kari added sadly, sounding a lot troubled.

"Krasus was there too?" Kylee asked.

"In a more hidden manner." Another voice added. Looking even further left, Kylee saw that the wizard had been there all along, sitting on a chair in a corner of the room, and seemingly brooding. Kylee couldn't say though if Krasus had been wounded, but it probably wasn't the case...

...although Kylee wasn't sure to really recognize such a darkened expression on the mage's face...It looked that he too had been troubled by that encounter...whatever it was...

"What just happened? Why is Regan like that anyway?" Kylee asked.  
"I'm afraid that while we may have recovered him in body, it may take some time for his soul to truly recover. He need time to rest..." Krasus answered.

"So...just what exactly happened in all of this with that dragon eh?" another familiar voice asked. Impmon was sitting in a chair to Kylee's right side of the bed. He sat there, poised and with several bandages on him.

"A lot happened..." Kari started.

"But I'd say you guys should know what happened." Lizomon suddenly spoke, slowly standing up.

With that, he start recounting the stories about the events that just happened, starting with the pursuit of Ragnarastrasz in the city as he went on with the great fight in the canyons, stating out the various events with clear details as he went on the tale, bringing out again the moments when Ragnarastrasz blazed with rage, and in the end, finishing out with the dragon's sacrifice of its existence to return Regan to them...

In the end, both Kylee and Impmon were wide-eyed.

"That's just so..." Kylee started, but she couldn't end her sentence. There were no words she could truly think about all those events...

"But...how the hell did it happened?" Riza asked. "I don't mean about Regan becoming Ragnarastrasz...but rather...how is that even possible?"

All four of Kari, Gatomon, Lizomon and even Krasus remained very silent, the first three looking rather uncertain about that.

"It is a very long story...A very long one, which has been filled with much pain I'm afraid to say..." Krasus then spoke after a while. "But it I believe that this story should be told by the one who has been most centered in that matter : Regan himself."

The others looks back toward Regan...only to see that his eyes were opened.

"Regan? You're awake?" Riza asked.  
"...Are you okay?" Kari asked a bit uncertainly.

Regan looked at them silently...he had a bit of an odd look. He then started to speak in a strange dialect.

"Huh?!? What the heck is that?!?" Kylee asked.  
"That would be Draconic language." Krasus answered. "As I said earlier, Regan's mind, body and soul have been recovered, but in order for him to truly return to normal, it may still take some time.  
And I think it would be better to let him rest and recover alone for now..."

"What about me?" Kylee asked.  
"You appear to have recovered rather splendidly now." The wizard answered. "You may leave now as well. I will call out a nurse to give you back your clothes."

As Krasus started to leave the room, he paused. "And I would say that all of you should leave Regan for a while, Lizomon included."

Lizomon looked aside for a while, and then nodded. "All right..."

Hesitantly, the two Tamers, Kari and the digimon all left the room, but not before looking at Regan once, who kept looking at all of them as they left.

Krasus waited, then looked at Regan when the others were gone. Regan looked straight at him as well.

Krasus then started to speak...in the same dialect than Regan used earlier...

"_I do believe you would have some questions first, don't you Regan?"_ Krasus said in the draconic language.  
"_Yeah..."_ Regan replied, still talking in that language. "_Do I really have to tell them all of that?"_  
"_They deserve to know the truth now Regan."_ Krasus replied. "_But for now, you need to rest to allow yourself to fully and completely recover."_  
Regan scowled and looked away. "_Why have they done all of this in the first place? They didn't needed to try to rescue me..."_  
"_I understand perfectly the disappointment you feel Regan. You had expected to have sacrificed yourself to bring the end of Ragnarok...but your friends were not ready to let you go...  
And I believed that your time was not over yet...There is still much you could still do..."_ Krasus explained.  
"_...Great...Even you worked with them on that plan to get me back?"_ Regan asked.  
"_You should say I was the primal instigator of that."_ Krasus corrected. "_If it wasn't for me, you may have never been returned."_  
"_Can't say I truly like to know that I'm back thanks to you..."_ Regan muttered, always in Draconic.  
"_Most of the true effort came from your friends however. I merely helped along, but it was to them that the greatest of the credit should go."_ Krasus said. "_We have discussed enough now Regan. Rest now. You will need your strength after all. These matters of those old events in your...past life...are nothing to be taken easily."_ Krasus then raised a hand, summoning out a small goblet of some unknown drink that slowly filled itself out on its own. "_I would want you to drink this as well. It should help you recover __more easily...as well as make you sleep for a while..."_  
"_And I'm not really interested to drink it?"_ Regan asked wryly.  
"_Do you even want to know the answer?"_ Krasus replied a bit darkly.  
Regan only glared lightly before he finally nodded and took the goblet before drinking it whole. A few moments after that, he started to look sleepy, his eyes fluttering.  
Krasus took the goblet before making it disappear.  
"_Sleep well for now Child of Life...There is still much left to do..."_ Krasus said as last words before Regan finally slipped into sleep.

With that, the wizard turned and walked to the door, closing it before he made a small gesture, and vanished from the room...

...to reappear back in his underground sanctum.

"So much has happened...And yet he bears it with such strength...You can still surprise me many times Regan..." Krasus muttered to himself. He then sighed. "It will not be easy for him to freely discuss...about those events...

Those events that shaped his very existence to what he is now..."

"Perhaps then...maybe I could offer my aid to him?" a voice asked out of nowhere behind Krasus. The mage looked back to see a pure form of red light having appeared as it focused and coalesced itself, taking on a shape...

Krasus slightly gasped at the sight before he went down on one knee, bowing deep at the same time...

"My love...my life..." he said on a far more different, humbled tone. "These are not things you should bring yourself to burden as well..."  
A moment of silence went on as the light seemed to fade...and the mage felt the light touch of a hand stroke his face...  
"I know my dear...I know...but it is something I believe I too have my own burdens in this..." the other one said, speaking with a clear feminine voice...

---

Things weren't easy right now...  
The Tamers and Kari had all agreed to meet back Regan in half an hour. In the meantime...they had all gone their separate ways. Even Lizomon went elsewhere on his own.

It was clear that this latest encounter with Ragnarok had terribly shaken all of them. They had all been so close to dying each of them, some more than the others, but it was very very close...  
Too close for simple confort...  
Regan nearly had 'died' because of this, and Kari knew she might have been killed by Regan 'himself' while trying to save him. It had been so overwhelming...  
And it even seemed that Krasus, the one they knew who would take on so many things at once and barely flinch about it, even he was very troubled by those events...

In fact, Kari had rarely seen the wizard so troubled.  
Right now, dressed again in her 'hiding clothes', she was walking along with Gatomon in the streets of the city, without any real objective in mind...

"Hey Kari...I think I'm hearing Riza's voice nearby..." Gatomon suddenly said.  
"Huh? Where?" Kari asked.  
"It comes from there..." Gatomon pointed to their right...A graveyard...  
"_What would Riza be doing there?"_ Kari wondered. "Let's check it out..."

It didn't took long for the two to notice the presence of Riza before a tombstone while Veemon stood a bit further away.

"Riza? ...Paying someone some...respects?" Kari hesitantly asked.  
Riza lightly jumped when Kari spoke, not having noticed her coming. "Oh well..." he started, looking at her a bit confused, then he lowered his head. "Yeah...my dad...  
Kinda weird how all those stuff and the fact we all went pretty close to dying made me think about my dad again..."  
"...I see..." Kari said. "Was he someone important?"  
"Well, for me, he was. He was a Tamer too. And Veemon here's actually his old partner." Riza answered.  
"Oh, is that so?" Gatomon said.  
"Yeah." Veemon replied on a bit neutral tone. "Although I don't go brag about it at ever corner."  
"I can guess why." Gatomon simply stated back.  
"Sometimes...it's just strange...about how things are today..." Riza muttered.  
"If maybe it could make you feel a bit sympathizing...  
Regan lost his dad too..." Kari then spoke a bit sadly.  
"What? He...what happened?" Riza asked, then caught himself back. "Oh sorry, I don't think I should ask about it."  
"It's okay." Kari said a bit sadly. "I guess we all had some persons or things we held dear that we lost..." she added, slightly hinting out about other things she might have lost...  
"Like...Wizardmon...right?" Riza hesitantly asked.  
"...There was no need to mention about that..." Gatomon replied darkly, her ears fallen, expressing her darkened mood. "Yeah...we had been thinking about him too with all that happened..."  
"It's alright Gatomon, it's okay..." Kari muttered as she went up to her digimon partner, slightly patting her on her head.  
"Sorry I mentioned him..." Riza added.  
"No...it's okay..." Kari apologized. "I can understand you sympathize with everything that happened to us..." With that, she seemed to cast a glance away, as something else troubled her...

---

"So...here's the park where you guys arrived first here?"  
"Yep."

Kylee and Impmon were standing in the park where Regan and Lizomon had come the first time, which was also when they returned with Kari. With them, Lizomon was standing in a tree, obviously talking to them.

"You know...after all that happened...it's still so hard to believe sometimes..." Kylee started.  
Lizomon remained silent while Impmon showed a concerned look at Kylee.  
Her head lowered, the Tamer girl spoke again. "To say that when we were younger, it was obvious that Riza and I wanted so much to have adventures like our anime heroes...

And now..." she stopped, letting her sentence trailing in the air.

"Sometimes what we wish for may not always come in the form we would expect for." Lizomon wisely replied.  
"Yeah...instead of some awesome adventure in the Digital World, we've been getting some freakish encounters with digimon in our worlds...along with a real monster that was using them to attack..." Kylee said. "But even then...with everything we've been through now...I can guess that even if it had been in the Digital World...it might not have been as awesome as we'd first think...

Reality sure has its ways to hit us so harshly..."

"True." Lizomon stated. "The Chosen Children that you know so well of weren't truly finding their task to be something fun. They risked their lives at several times.  
And even today, with those that are with Regan and Kari aren't necessarily having some great time as well.

Hell, Kari nearly got killed once and Regan also nearly died by trying to heal her with his power."

Kylee blanked as those words from Lizomon hit her. "They...nearly died before?" she asked.  
"Several times even." Lizomon added darkly. "Regan wouldn't entirely like me to have added up about that time when Kari nearly died, mainly because...that's the time when Ragnarok first awakened..."

"Ragnarok...First it was all about Regan and Ragnarok...then it became even more complicated with that Ragnarastrasz added in the mix...What's all of their connections anyway?" Impmon said.

"Well...you could say that the connection between Regan and Ragnarok is Ragnarastrasz...but the story's a lot complicated in fact..." Lizomon answered. "Anyway, maybe we should try to plan out on going back to the hospital."

"...All right..." Kylee muttered.

---

Riza and Kari had also taken time to go back to the hospital, although Kari wanted to buy out a few flowers for Regan on the way. It was something that was dealt with quickly, although Riza proposed to pay for them. As a bit of a gift from everyone...

---

He started to open his eyes again...  
Regan slowly started to regain consciousness as he registered the absence of anyone nearby...and at least his mind didn't felt like a jumbled mess like it previously was...  
If at least he was finally feeling a lot better physically and probably mentally...on the emotional level...he wasn't so well...

Both disappointment and regret struck him, as he clearly remember about the act he had done...and how far everyone else had gone to bring him back...

Memories from the battle of Ragnarastrasz had come to him...And he had seen 'himself' dreadfully wounding his friends...

How could he even face them now? Regan wasn't really feeling up to that...Especially since knowing that now they would soon be back...and it would be time apparently for telling out the truth...about his origins...

And no doubt Krasus would be there to ensure Regan would do that...As if it wouldn't be painful already...

"Gone through so much and before...it is undoubtedly hard for you to bear those emotional scars..." someone muttered.

Odd, Regan hadn't heard anyone enter...and the voice was that of a woman...  
He turned to look at the speaker...

And gasped, in pure awe.  
He couldn't do anything else besides that...

---

The Tamers, Kari and the digimon had all met up on the way to the hospital, and the rest of the way had been rather done in silence...  
"Think he'll be awake?" Kylee asked.  
"...Who knows?" Kari answered.  
"Even if he isn't, I'd say we should stay and wait for him to wake up then." Lizomon suggested.  
They all agreed on that as they walked in the hall leading to Regan's room.

Holding out a small bouquet of roses in one hand, Kari went for the doorknob...and stopped.  
And none of the others reacted to why she stopped...but they all reacted in the same way...as they all felt something strange...

A wonderful warmth spread in their bodies...something so comfortable and warm...it just seemed awfully strange that it manifested itself just as they were going to enter...Odd enough even the roses of Kari's bouquet now looked even stronger than ever. All of the children and digimon felt even more renewed...

"This can't be..." Kari muttered. Then grabbed the doorknob before opening it wide.

And in the room was Regan in the bed. He clearly looked awake...and was looking completely surprised, and in awe...At the other person in the room...

She had her back turned at those in the room's entrance, but there was no mistaking her long flowing red hairs, along with the slightly pointy ears that jutted out of the hairs and the long red robe. And also the fact that she probably stood at seven feet tall...as tall as Krasus.

She turned to those at the entrance. And they saw her face. Calm and kind ruby red eyes...a gentle expression in her face...the same kind of expression that any loving mother would have...

She clearly was very beautiful...  
Riza admitted that fact to himself...As beautiful as the mysterious Ysera that he had briefly met in that Dream realm.  
But while Ysera's beauty seemed more...ethereal...clearly something out of a dream...the beauty of that woman was one of great dignity and...life...

"Please don't stand there children...Come in...and close the door as well..." the woman spoke kindly with a small smile.

Uncertain, the children and the digimon all entered the room before closing the door.  
And still, despite that, they could only stare again at the beautiful and mysterious woman...  
And she seemed to be the source of the warmth they were all feeling...Even Regan looked affected by that.  
"It's you..." Kari started hesitantly.

The woman's eyes fixed upon Kari.  
"Indeed, child of Light..." she spoke.  
"Who...who are you?" Kylee hesitantly asked. She was both afraid and awed by the woman. Whoever she was, she clearly seemed to be a being beyond anything she knew...much like Ysera in fact...a lot like her...

"Alexstrasza..." Lizomon spoke, a bit subdued. Even he was awed by her. "Alexstrasza...She Who is Life..."

"She...Who is...Life?" Riza repeated. "You mean that..."

In answer, the woman showed out a small pendant on her neck...  
The pendant was in fact...the symbol of the Crest of Life...

"She Who is Life...The Life-Binder...The LifeGiver...The Mother of Life...  
Many titles I have been given...all entailing to who I truly am...  
Alexstrasza...The Aspect of Life..." the woman answered.

"I can't believe it..." Kari muttered. "With...with all respects...Why are you here?"  
"For my dear child of course..." Alexstrasza answered as she took a seat near Regan. "I came for you Regan...A mother cannot ignore the pain and cries such as those that you have endured..." she added, the last clearly being to Regan as she looked straight at him with a concerned expression.

"M-m-mother?!? You mean you're Regan's mom?!?" Impmon asked, completely surprised.  
"Yes...and no...in a sense..." Regan suddenly said.  
The others were slightly surprise to hear him talk normally.  
"Regan? You're..." Riza started.  
"'Normal?'" Regan added. He showed out a wry smile. "More or less...you could say..."

"Please children...take a seat as well...We have much to discuss I'm afraid..." Alexstrasza spoke kindly.  
Uncertain, the Tamers, Kari and the digimon obeyed.

"Alexstrasza...even so...I don't get it why you'd need to be here...Is it really that important for you to be here?" Kari asked.  
"I believed it was a necessary action. Even my dear Krasus had his uncertainties regarding my coming here, but as wise as he is, he agreed to my choice." Alexstrasza answered.  
"...So that's why Krasus isn't here..." Lizomon said. "You kinda went to take his place here for now..."  
"Indeed." The red lady answered.  
"Guys...how can you...how can you just talk to her like that?!?" Kylee said. "She's..." she started, but stopped, uncertain to say what Alexstrasza _was_...  
"They are familiar with me already." Alexstrasza replied.  
"Huh?!? You mean that they already met you before?!?" Impmon suddenly said, but caught himself as he realized the way he just talked to the woman, fearing that she might be offended.  
"Indeed they have." Alexstrasz kindly answered, as if she hadn't been offended at all. She smile faded. "My coming had been crucial to safeguard their lives when the digimon data was infecting their bodies...  
Yes...Krasus may have been the instigator of the Bio-Modify process...but he had required my aid to ensure its success..." she explained.  
"You mean he just asked your help and you came to him just for two kids?!?" Riza replied, shocked.  
"You know you're talking about Regan and Kari here..." Gatomon darkly added, shooting a glance at Riza.  
"Krasus is one of my most favoured...and I have greatly respected his wisdom before. He may not be as powerful as any of us...but he can quite equal us in wits..." Alexstrasza added.  
"Us?" Kylee repeated. "You mean there are others like you?"  
"Of course. You even have already met my sister before. Ysera." Alexstrasza answered.  
"You were with Ysera after all..." Kylee muttered.  
"Yes and no. Our spheres of influence cross with each other, but while we may have different goals, our primary ones are always common. She is just like me. An Aspect." Alexstrasza replied.  
"What's an Aspect?" Veemon uncertainly asked.  
"...Well...you could say that they're the Gods of Creation." Lizomon replied.  
The Tamers and their digimon went blank at Lizomon, then at Alexstrasza.  
"You're...a God?!?" Impmon asked in a small voice.  
"In a sense yes, just as in a sense, no. But we may be considered as the most powerful beings in the physical planes of existence. We are indeed the representation of the forces that brought Creation, or rather; we are its Aspects...The Aspects of Creation..." Alexstrasza said.  
"Dreams...Time...Earth...Magic...and Life..." Regan slowly stated. "The five powers that make up all of Creation...And these guys are these powers."  
"And Ysera is obviously Dreams..." Kylee said, a bit shocked. "Hold on a minute! Regan, did you just said Life?!? As in..."  
"My Crest...Yes..." Regan answered. "And Alexstrasza here is the Aspect of Life...and also the leader of the Aspects, apparently..."  
"My god..." Riza muttered. "Uh, no offenses about it, right?"  
"It is not to us to impose beliefs upon mortals." Alexstrasza replied kindly. "But we are always willing to share our beliefs to those who listen..."  
"Anyway...instead of just talking about you Aspects, can we just talk about the reason you're here?" Lizomon asked.  
"Yes..." Alexstrasza replied. "As I said, I am here for Regan. I know everything that has happened. His sacrifice to summon Ragnarastrasz in order to defeat the creature Ragnarok...The efforts all of you brought to face Ragnarastrasz...and then his own sacrifice to return Regan to you...  
But what I came here for, most of all...is to support you Regan with this next trial...  
Because now the time has come. I know you desire to know the truth about his origins, young Kylee, Riza, Impmon and Veemon, and that is why I have come to better support Regan to do so..." Alexstrasza explained.  
"His...origins..." Riza muttered as he looked at Regan.  
He looked sideway, and down. "Yeah...I guess it would have to come sooner or later..." Regan said.  
"You were more wishing that it would never come instead..." Lizomon replied. "Telling out about your connections to Ragnarok was enough...but your origins instead..."  
"Cut it Lizomon." Regan replied.  
"Go on Regan...They deserve to know the truth. They are our friends after all..." Kari said.  
Riza and Kylee looked at Kari with some surprise. They hadn't expected her to consider them as friends.  
Regan took a long breath and sighed. "Yeah...you're right..." He said.  
Then he looked straight at Riza, Kylee, Impmon and Veemon. "But you better hold on tight...because it ain't a nice story..."

---

"It all started so long ago...  
Many, many years ago...you could say...I was someone else...more or less...  
I was...Ragnarastrasz...a young dragon of the great Red Dragonflight.  
For quite some time, most red dragons had been into hiding, ever since their queen had been captured by some mortals who used a powerful artefact to capture her...The Demon Soul.  
However, recently, one of the eldest red dragons had managed to ensure the steps of freeing his queen, and even managed to ensure the destruction of the Demon Soul.  
The queen was freed thanks to the dragon, by the name of Korialstrasz, and also thanks to many mortals, although more specifically a human mage called Rhonin, an elf ranger named Vereesa, and a dwarf named Falstad.  
Thanks to the actions of Korialstrasz, the queen was finally freed and the Great Red Dragonflight was finally reformed, and many hidden red dragons revealed themselves out of hiding, rejoining with their queen and her consort Korialstrasz." Regan started.  
"Consort?!?" Kylee interrupted. "You mean-"  
"That dragon helps the dragon queen makes babies..." Lizomon replied quickly with a weird smile. "Let's move on."  
"Yeah...  
Anyway, Ragnarastrasz was one of those dragons who returned to the Flight. Korialstrasz was pleased to see him for many reasons...but most of all because Ragnarastrasz is actually one of his sons..." Regan added.  
"WHAT?!? You mean that Ragnarastrasz is a prince?!?" Riza now interrupted.  
"No." Alexstrasza answered instead. "The Red Dragonqueen always had several consorts that would help her bring birth to the entire DragonFlight. All the red dragons that were born always had the queen herself as their mother, even the consorts."  
"That's just...weird..." Veemon said.  
"Let's just not wonder a lot about that anyway." Lizomon added. "Go on Regan."  
"As I said, Ragnarastrasz was one of Korialstrasz's many children, but Ragnarastrasz mattered somewhat to the elder dragon, mainly because he was seeing lots of potential in the younger one, so that hopefully, he would become a future consort to the queen.  
Don't get me wrong. For the red dragons, becoming the queen's consort is probably one of the highest honours there is. The consorts always stand as advisors to the queen, so they ain't just for babies. They are not only some very strong dragon, but very wise often." Regan went on.  
"I see...and I guess that Korialstrasz is a very wise one, right?" Kylee asked.  
"And a lot powerful." Lizomon replied. "He's way stronger than a Mega level digimon. Yeah, we've met him before, lots of times even. He works a lot with Krasus."  
"...I would have never thought that..." Riza muttered.  
"Anyway, while Ragnarastrasz seemed indeed interested, Korialstrasz noticed that something was wrong with his 'kid'. Millennia of experience made the elder dragon think that Ragnarastrasz wasn't that interested in becoming a consort. So he looked for the reason, and was able to find it quickly.  
Ragnarastrasz had another lover.  
Another female dragon in the red Flight. Her name was Verginorastrasza." Regan continued.  
"...I take it wasn't something good...right?" Kylee asked.  
"Yeah..." Regan answered. "In fact, normally, all the red dragons had been fiercely loyal to the queen. Yes, there might have been some feelings sometimes between many red dragons, but usually, the love for the queen is ultimate. But not in Ragnarastrasz's case. He was more interested in his other lover than the queen. Even if it might mean he would become a consort to her, it didn't interest him. That's something Korialstrasz had never ever seen in all his years.  
So, Korialstrasz reported that to the queen.  
But the Red Dragonqueen is a powerful and benevolent being. Instead of being angered at Ragnarastrasz's decisions of heart, she was surprised. She made Korialstrasz summon both dragons to her, and made them confront her about that fact. That they were lovers, and even to the point that Ragnarastrasz was unwilling to be a consort.  
And they indeed replied yes.  
The queen only smiled and accepted that. She did surprise the two dragon lovers about that too, but she too knew what love can be, and that's why she wouldn't want to take the heart of Ragnarastrasz if it already was taken by another dragon."  
"Awww...That's so sweet..." Kylee mused, smiling dreamily.  
"Kylee, maybe you shouldn't get yourself too lost about that..." Impmon replied with a side glance at her.  
"Yeah...because now I'm coming to the bad part..." Regan replied, his expression darkening. "Even...if it wasn't really...my own life...I can remember about those things as if it had happened to me...Especially the darker events..."  
The others started to grow a little more concerned.  
"The red dragons, while being powerful and noble beings, are not without enemies...Their most sinister, insidious and most hated ones being...the black dragons..." Regan continued.  
The other remained a bit silent as they remembered the form Ragnarok took recently...  
"One day, Ragnarastrasz had been surveying some mountainous areas when he sensed a dark force being gathered...He soon found what it was: A black dragon apparently focused in some unknown dark summoning ritual...That dragon probably wanted to summon out some dark forces in the name of its dark master, the dark ruler of the black dragons, the dreaded Deathwing..." Regan said; hate sounding in his voice as he spoke the last name.  
Even Alexstrasza's gentle look faded, turning darker at the name of the black dragon lord...And judging by seeing how even the gentle Alexstrasza did not reacted well to such a name made Kylee feel a lot uneasy about whoever that Deathwing was...  
"That black dragon was so busy in his summoning that he hadn't noticed Ragnarastrasz spying on him..." Regan went on...

---

_**Many years ago...**_

The red dragon Ragnarastrasz carefully and silently walked upon the top of the mountain he had chosen to spy upon the black dragon who stood down in a canyon, uttering out its dark words in front of a dark circle of magic etched in the rock.  
He would have to act soon to stop the black...  
Ragnarastrasz lowered himself, crouching low...before he leapt in the air, wings opening wide as he came down upon the unsuspecting black.  
And at the last moment, a thundering roar exploded in the ears of the black...  
Ragnarastrasz fell straight on his opponent and the two tumbled away. Ragnarastrasz found himself on top of his opponent, and immediately started to reach down to bite him, but the other battered away his head before he was able to pull himself out of the red.  
Both briefly recovered from their shock...before they charged at each other, roaring wildly.  
The black struck first as he unleashed a burst of molten lava to Ragnarastrasz's face, causing the red to stumble back while the other closed in to make a fatal strike. However, Ragnarastrasz brought up a wing as a shield, blocking the other before he could make an attack, then retaliated with a wide fiery breath of his own, striking the other at the shoulder instead before he swung his whole body and slammed his tail in the black dragon, throwing him closer to the summoning circle.  
The other was able to recover quickly and easily however, and brought up his claws as Ragnarastrasz neared, slashing at his torso when the red neared. Ragnarastrasz retaliated by lunging his maw forward, biting the black on the same shoulder he had burnt earlier. The black used his wings to strike and push back the red, although that caused Ragnarastrasz to leave out a bloody mark and torn scales on the black's shoulder.  
Ragnarastrasz let out a strong intimidating roar as he reared up on his rear legs, showing out a more intimidating presence. He clearly presented the fact that he was bigger and stronger than his opponent. But the black wouldn't be deterred. As Ragnarastrasz brought down his weight on the ground again, unleashing a fiery breath on the black, the dark dragon quickly thrust his right paw forward, barking out one quick word.  
An invisible blast suddenly exploded on Ragnarastrasz's torso, sending the red crashing in a mountain.  
The black lunged, hoping to finish up the battle. But Ragnarastrasz recovered faster than the black hoped. The red dragon quickly used up magic of his own, unleashing a huge burst of wind that slowed down the black before he unleashed red lightning bolts upon the black, causing the dark dragon to roar in pain.  
Ragnarastrasz quickly threw himself forward, and slammed his entire weight in the black before raising one of his paw, glowing with power before punching the black with all his might...sending him flying, and crashing...into the summoning circle.  
And the moment the black touched the circle...Ragnarastrasz was suddenly overwhelmed with pain as a large explosion tore apart the air...

---

"_The black dragon had been wanting to summon out some dark forces for his master...but I'd say he never expected he'd become that very dark force he brought up..."_

---

Ragnarastrasz's whole body ached. He struggled to return to consciousness as his eyes fluttered open...and it was to see something that looked like a nightmare...  
He saw the black dragon in the middle of the summoning circle, screaming madly as greenish flames seemingly consumed him...becoming a part of it...

Ragnarastrasz saw the black being consumed by the flames...until the flames too on a form of their own as the devoured the dragon...And the flames slowly started to take on the form...of a dragon as well...

The creature unleashed out a powerful roar that shook the entire canyon.  
Ragnarastrasz wanted to stand up, but half of his body was still buried in the rocks from a mountain that crumbled on him.  
Then the creature looked straight at him with what seemed to be a hungered look...It hungered for his power...It had consumed the black, twisted it as both the flames and the dragon had fused together, becoming the monstrosity that stood before Ragnarastrasz...and now the beast hungered for him...

It started to make one step on its foot, clearly standing on his rear legs instead of four.  
Ragnarastrasz's heart skipped a beat. He didn't wanted to become a part of that monster! He knew that surely other dragons would have felt the explosion that brought in the fiend. And if the beast consumed him, then it might be too strong for any other dragon...and it would devour them too...

"For the master...For Lord Deathwing...you despicable red will suffer...as will all of your kind...and all of mortals...All of you will be burned...to create perfection..." the beast spoke as it slowly neared.

Ragnarastrasz couldn't believed what he heard! The fiend probably was nothing but some hungry ravenous thing, but when it fused with the black, its mind was completely warped, now seemingly as indoctrinated as any black dragon...as if the thing considered itself a servant of Deathwing!!!

No matter what, Ragnarastrasz couldn't let that thing be let loose. He stared at the summoning circle. It still glowed with powerful magic, which was slowly fading...but it might just be enough...

Ragnarastrasz managed to pull out a free hand before pointing it at the circle. Despite that the creature now existed, it was still surely bound to the circle for now...and with enough power, Ragnarastrasz could stop it.  
The red started to usurp the summoning circle's power...  
And the monster realized that. With a roar, it suddenly rushed toward Ragnarastrasz, seeking to kill him before it would be too late.  
Ragnarastrasz smiled grimly. It was too late...for the beast...  
He quickly uttered out his new spell, twisting and transforming the circle's summoning power...into a binding spell...  
...with Ragnarastrasz as the binding...  
The creature felt a suction drawing him to the red dragon. He wanted to flee...but it was too late...  
Ragnarastrasz bared open his torso as the monster neared...and it was absorbed within the red dragon...before everything seemed to be engulfed in flames for the red dragon...as he screamed hard...and collapsed...

---

"He did what?!?" Kylee asked, eyes wide.  
"You heard me." Regan grimly said. "Ragnarastrasz turned the summoning circle...into a binding spell...and with it, he sealed Ragnarok..._inside him_..."  
"It's unbelievable..." Riza muttered, shocked.  
"But it is the grim truth indeed..." Alexstraszasadly commented. "Ragnarastrasz had decided to take on a grim and dark burden: To forever contain the creature that you now call Ragnarok. To keep it bound until his own end would come..."  
"But...it doesn't look like it worked...right?" Impmon asked hesitantly.  
"No, it worked." Regan answered. "Korialstrasz soon found the wounded Ragnarastrasz and the younger red was able to explain what happened before he passed out. After that Korialstrasz brought his child to the Red Dragonflight's lair so that Ragnarastrasz could be healed and recover. He also spoke out of that matter of the creature to the dragon queen, who clearly was concerned about that. Verginorastrasza was also informed about that matter. They were worried about what they should do with Ragnarastrasz. So Korialstrasz went on and used his great knowledge and powers to scan deep in Ragnarastrasz, to seek to understand more about the creature sealed inside his child.  
And he was able to find out that through dark emotions, the creature could be unleashed...but light emotions, emotions of happiness, of joy, love, and anything else related to that would help keep the creature sealed.  
So, it was made clear that it was their task to ensure Ragnarastrasz would be able to keep strong emotions of happiness, despite his grim fate. Something Verginorastrasza soon was willing to help out.  
Ragnarastrasz woke up, recovered, and was explained the situation by the queen and Korialstrasz. Being aware of the monster within him, he determinately accepted his new fate, and promised he would ensure to keep that monster sealed in him forever...

And you could say he did kept that promise...since he got killed a good while after those events. Probably several months later or even a few years, I can't remember...  
But Ragnarastrasz died..." Regan went on.  
"He...died?" Kylee asked. "How did that happened?"  
"He and Verginorastrasza were on their own, having some nice time together when they got ambushed by black dragons. Ragnarastrasz ordered Verginorastrasza to flee, to go warn out the other red dragons, but she wanted to stay and fight as well. Despite that, Ragnarastrasz urged her to run away so that the Flight could be warned while he would hold the blacks. And Verginorastrasza hesitantly left.

And when Verginorastrasza returned with the dragon queen and Korialstrasz...it was to find one black dragon dead and the remaining three still alive...as they gloated over the near dead body of Ragnarastrasz, who had been brutally wounded...

Verginorastrasz went to the body of her lover...but he died with her name on his lips...  
While it was clear she was engulfed in fury, it was the dragon queen who unleashed her fury upon the remaining blacks...and slaughtered all three of them...in ways I wouldn't really want to talk about..." Regan said, finishing up with a grim smile.  
"Oh my god..." Kylee muttered.  
"So...he had managed to kill one of them...but the others got him anyway...But even then...did something else happen after that?" Riza asked.  
"Yeah..." Regan replied. "While Ragnarastrasz died, Korialstrasz was able to preserve out somewhat of his soul...And he kept it in seclusion after that. Red dragons are also strong followers of Life...and they aren't willing to try to resurrect the dead. It's not their right to disturb the cycle of Life...  
Yeah, I can guess you wonder then, 'If Ragnarastrasz died, how are you alive now Regan?'. Well, it's fairly simple. While Ragnarastrasz's story was over...it still went on with others...  
Verginorastrasza apparently left the dragonflight, going off into the wild. Not much of her had been heard ever since...  
As for Korialstrasz, there was something else he was dealing with at the time...  
That thing being...Digidestined..." Regan said.  
"Digidestined?!? You mean that Korialstrasz is involved with some Digidestined?!?" Veemon asked.  
"In a sense, yes..." Regan answered. "Korialstrasz wanted to bring out the powers of Creation as Crests for some special Chosen Children. But as hard as he looked everywhere for a child that could be the bearer of those powers, he was never able to find one...  
So...if he couldn't find one...He decided...  
...to create one..."  
All four of Kylee, Riza, Impmon and Veemon went wide-eyed. "You mean that Korialstrasz created you?!?" Impmon asked, shocked.  
"...More or less..." Regan replied, looking sideways. "He used Krasus for his goals, handing out to him one half of a powerful crystal he had made to hold what he had of Ragnarastrasz's soul, thus he gave a fragment of the soul to Krasus.  
After that, Krasus contacted a couple in our reality. One of them was an old Digidestined, so he was a bit familiar with Krasus. The woman wasn't able to have children, and it wasn't something easy for them to live with...so Krasus made them a deal...  
With some experiment of his part, he would manage to restore the woman's fertility...  
And that plan worked. He infused the dragon soul fragment in her womb.  
The night after, she had become pregnant.  
And several months later, she gave birth to a strong-looking baby boy. The couple was deeply overjoyed and ever thankful to that miracle Krasus had granted them.  
However, Krasus wanted something in exchange.  
First, that the couple would change their family name for...Astrasz...  
And that the name given to the boy would be...Regan...  
All of this having been orchestrated by Korialstrasz..." Regan finished.  
"That's just so...unbelievable..." Kylee muttered, shocked.  
"So...what that makes you then?" Riza uncertainly asked.  
"A human...mostly." Regan grimly answered. "However while my body is 100% human...I don't have a human soul...  
I have the soul of a dragon instead...And even then, it's not even the full soul, just a fragment of it...And it's more than enough so that I can be more than just a simple human boy..." Regan grimly answered. "I wasn't born with memories of Ragnarastrasz. You could say I was some sort of reincarnation instead. Completely unaware that my birth had been orchestrated so that I would become a Digidestined, and the one who would bear the Crest of Life...  
So you see...it's something I don't actually like about my own existence...to be aware that my whole life was deliberately made at the start...My fate already planned out before I could make a choice..." Regan grimly said. "And that's why I may never truly like either Krasus or Korialstrasz for that, even if they can be nice...Do you think it's an easy thing to really like those who nearly planned to use you like a puppet? Not at all. I don't think there's any real way I might always forgive either Krasus or my 'soul-father' about that..."  
"Soul-father?" Riza repeated.  
"A little term of mine to remember about Korialstrasz...Remember, he was Ragnarastrasz's father, and I'm the one with a part of his soul...So while I already got a mom and a dad...I also got a soul-mother and a soul-father. Human parents and Dragon soul-parents...The very grim and ironic twisted fate I've been given..." Regan answered.  
"And knowing all of this...you never sought to turn back?" Kylee wondered.  
"Oh, I was kinda close to that. I did kinda wanted to throw out everything about that, to stop being a Digidestined, to get rid of all of this...  
But in a sense...it was too late to turn back when I discovered the truth...and how could I turn back on a path where I had already witnessed so much pain...and even death? I saw some good digimon die for what they believed in..." Regan said, although he stopped after that. "So...I know I can't turn back despite that...I'll have to live with that...The grim fate I've been given, the grim tragedy I live through even day I wake up...  
No one might never really experience that kind of thing like I do..." Regan said darkly.  
"Regan..." Kari muttered sadly, holding her hands tightly.  
"Regan Astrasz..." Alexstrasza started. "Although it is true that the beginning of your fate was written for you...No one has made anything, no one has written anything about how your fate will go on, and how it will end. The end of the story is still and will be yours only to finish..."  
"You know Regan...she's right..." Kylee hesitantly started. "While it might have been Krasus and that Korialstrasz who started your whole life to have a Digidestined of Life, they did wanted that because they wanted new help for everyone else...And the reason why Korialstrasz chose to use Ragnarastrasz's soul is because he knew how strong his son was...So he knew you would be strong Regan..."  
"Just one thing that's still not okay though. How is Ragnarok still alive if Ragnarastrasz died?" Impmon asked.  
The others went silent again.  
Then it was Regan who answered darkly once more...  
"Ragnarok had indeed been contained. Ragnarastrasz's death sealed him indeed, but when I was born, there also was a part of Ragnarok within me, dormant and completely powerless.  
When I unleashed my despair and rage at their fullest for the first time in the Digital World...when something terrible happened...  
That rage stirred Ragnarok...and awakened him...At that time, he was still fairly primitive-minded. Only brute savagery. But the second time it happened, he got a lot more conscious...and took over my body...  
But I was able to take back control and banish him...but I didn't thought he had managed to pull itself free out of me. Even then, UltimaRyumon was able to blast out Ragnarok to pieces.  
And after that, it took a long time before he reappeared, capturing Kari, me and our partners...And the rest, I think you know it..."  
"Man...I don't think I would have ever imagined how much your life has been harsh..." Riza said. "I'd say it's a real miracle you haven't gone insane."  
"I might have gotten close to that sometimes, maybe..." Regan said with a wry grin.  
"It's been a hard thing for all of us Regan...as much as it was hard for you..." Kari said...and Regan noticed she had taken hold of his hand...And he noticed Lizomon smirking in a corner.  
"Yeah, it's right! Even if you've been through all those bad things, you managed to get through them, and I'm sure you had friends to help you out! So we'll always be with you to help you out Regan!" Veemon said.  
"That's right." Riza added. "We never knew the burden you had before, but even then, does that really make a difference? It ain't some handicap after all. You can be as good, as strong and as nice as we are!"  
"Regan...back when you fought Ragnarok...You said to Ragnarok that you considered yourself a human no matter what, right? Well, I think you're indeed human. Even if you've got a dragon's soul, you still think of yourself as a human...That makes all the difference..." Kylee said.  
"True Regan...Even despite all the proofs that showed out the traces of inhumanity within you...you still hold a great humanity within yourself...Just as any inhuman being can hold traces of humanity within them..." Kari said kindly.  
"The path of a warrior is not truly dictated by the paths of his ancestors or his heritage...but by the choices he made." Lizomon wisely spoke.  
Alexstrasza said nothing, aside from holding a kind gaze to Regan.

Thanks guys...  
Thanks a lot..." Regan muttered.  
"Now that it's settled..." Lizomon started. "Group hug!!!" he then yelled.

And all at once, the three children and the digimon rushed on Regan, giving out one big hug at once...and burying Regan under their weight.

"Geoffme!" Regan let out as a muffled yell, apparently complaining under the weight. The others only chuckled or giggled at that, more than enough proof of how glad they were to finally have their friend back...

Alexstrasza only let out a light chuckle at the sight of the children and digimon all together on Regan.

"Well, I would say that my task here is done...Farewell children...May you always hold up strength in your hearts..." she said before slowly vanishing...

---

With the long talk finally done, it was clear Regan was now fully recovered. And it was with light hearts that everyone left the hospital together, Regan in the mix, back in his usual clothes.

"I see that you have recovered splendidly Regan..." someone said in front of them. Krasus.  
Everyone stopped as they all looked at Regan, a bit uncertain about what he had said earlier.  
Regan stepped forward, looking straight at Krasus with a serious look, then he broke out into a grin.  
"I can't say it was thanks to you this time Krasus..." Regan said on a rather annoying tone.  
Instead of being offended by the obvious act from Regan, Krasus simply waved it off. "Who am I to argue with Life herself?" he simply said on a light tone.  
The others breathed easier, seeing things weren't going to break into a confrontation.  
"Oh yes Tamers, I would like you offer you my congratulations and thanks for all the work you have done to help the two Digidestined." Krasus said, bowing to Kylee and Riza, along their partners.  
"Well...gotta do what a Tamer has to do, right?" Kylee said, pulling out her tongue a little.  
"At least you're a little humble Kylee..." Lizomon commented. "After all, you guys helped out save your world from a terrible threat, along with giving out a hand to one of the most powerful beings in existence, and let's not forget having kicked out Ragnarok's butt once again."  
"Hehe, yeah...Not bad huh?" Kylee said. Impmon broke into a full cocky grin instead, obviously taking a bit too much advantage of that fact.  
"I also have to say that tomorrow, the school should restart as usual. Tomorrow, we shall also be leaving." Krasus said.  
"What?!? School's gonna start again? Aw man, I was getting used to all the stuff we were doing!" Kylee whined.  
"I'm afraid to say that it was I who held up school closed up for as long as it was needed. The school was going to open the day after I had first come here, but I thought it would have been better if you could have been fully focused on the problems we all had." Krasus said.  
"What he means is that Krasus kept the school closed until all the troubles would be over." Lizomon simply said.  
"Well, I'd guess that it's all okay then!" Kylee said. "Come on guys, let's enjoy the rest of the day while we can!" she added before grabbing Riza by the arm and went on happily on her way.  
"Ky-leeeee, waiit!!!" Riza yelled as he got grabbed and dragged away.  
Regan and Kari only chuckled at that as they followed on. But Kari then looked at Regan with a kind smile.  
"Good to see you back Regan..." she said kindly.  
Regan felt a bit uneasy under that smile, and not really knowing what he should add up, he just looked a bit forward instead and spoke. "Yeah...I guess it's good to be back..."  
"Oh...I had almost forgotten Regan...  
Ragnarastrasz wanted you to know that he would always be a part of you...as he always was..." Kari said.  
"Heeemmm..." Regan was a little bit confused about that.  
"That's what he wanted me to tell you before he was gone..." Kari said.  
"Ah...I see..." Regan replied. He understood a little more. And indeed, it made sense.  
And with that, he smiled a bit.  
It was good to be back indeed...

---

While it was clear the day had started really bad with all the chaos that had happened, it sure ended up superbly well for everyone as the Tamers and Digidestined all went back to their respective homes.

"So...last night here huh?" Regan said as he looked through the window, gazing at the sunset.  
"Seems like it...And I guess we'll probably make our last goodbyes to Riza and Kylee after school tomorrow." Kari replied, also gazing out at the sunset. She looked kindly at Regan again. "I'm glad you met such great friends back the first time you and Lizomon were here...and I'm glad to have met them too..."  
"Yeah..." Regan muttered.  
"If only we could have been able to keep this up a bit longer..." Kari muttered.  
"Well...we can't stay forever here after all..." Regan said.  
"I know...but maybe one day..." Kari started.  
"You'd mean that they would come to the Digital World one day?" Regan asked.  
"Who knows? But it's something I'd like though. They showed themselves to be great friends, and not just being good with Digimon. That's something that matters to me..." Kari said.  
"True..." Regan agreed. "Let's just get a good night's sleep. Man, I really feel that I'll need one..." he added as he yawned.  
Kari giggled lightly. "Well, what about us eh? We'll probably feel sore tomorrow because of all the trouble we went for you..."  
"I know..." Regan said a bit sadly. "And I'm sorry I made you all worried for me..." he added as he slowly reached out to Kari's face...  
Kari didn't take away Regan's hand, but instead brought it up to her side of her face. "I know...But I know you had your reasons of doing that..." she said.  
Then she reached forward...and wrapped her arms tightly around Regan's waist, resting her head on his shoulder.  
"I'm just glad you're finally back to us..." she muttered, a faint tear forming in her closed eyes.  
Regan remained partly frozen, uncertain to Kari's reaction, then, hesitantly at first, he brought his arms around Kari as well.  
"Thanks Kari..." he muttered to her, a small tear of his own forming in his eyes...

---

As night finally came upon the city, everyone went to sleep, many hoping to have many good dreams...

But there was one right now...who had just the opposite right now...

Kylee had opened her eyes...and found herself in probably the strangest and most distorted place she could ever have gone too. Everything was rather purplish, but things everywhere were horrifyingly twisted...

And to say that all she had done was going to bed and started sleeping...  
"That's just a dream..." she repeated herself.  
Hesitantly, she walked around, looking for any useful signs or indications that could help her...

"Good evening Kylee Henke..." someone suddenly spoke. Kylee turned...and gasped at the sight of the speaker...  
Dressed in a red cloak scrapped at the ends...the hood back showing out the face of Regan...but it wasn't Regan...

"...Ragnarok?!?" Kylee said. "You can't be real! That's just a dream..."  
Ragnarok smiled darkly. "I'm afraid not Kylee...I'm as real as you are..."  
"It can't be possible! You died! We destroyed you!"  
"True..." Ragnarok started with some contempt, showing out a cursory glance. "True that your little Regan friend managed out this crazy feat to bring out Ragnarastrasz...but even despite having terribly wounded me...I didn't perish as all of you hoped..."  
"...What? Then...where are you?" Kylee hesitantly asked, stepping back one foot.  
Suddenly, images of Ragnarok in his black dragon form, falling and tumbling in the skies as he fell appeared...  
"You touched me once Kylee..." Ragnarok started.  
...and the images showed Ragnarok falling upon Kylee...just as he dissipated in smoke...  
"...now we're closer than ever..." he finished, showing a very toothy smile in the end, his eyes glowing.  
"N-No...I don't know what you mean..." Kylee said, stepping back more, fear creeping in her.  
"Hehehehe...it can be rather easy to understand Kylee...While it is true you have disrupted by physical body...I'm afraid to say my mind survived...it simply went on into another physical body to use as a host..." Ragnarok said calmly, smiling casually as he explained, slowly stepping forward.  
"And that new host to my glorious self...is you!!!" Ragnarok finished, showing a mad grin as he glared at Kylee with the maddest glance ever.  
Kylee went blank in pure horror...  
Ragnarok had survived...inside her...  
He was in her!!!  
"But now, I think I'd like to have control of your body..." Ragnarok continued on. "I'm sure you won't mind..."  
"NO!" Kylee yelled. "This is my body! This is my mind, so get out!"  
Some sort of invisible wave raised out of nowhere before it slammed down on Ragnarok, ripping apart the twisted environment...  
...but Ragnarok remained.  
"Looks like we'll have to do it the hard way eh?" Ragnarok simply said, hands in pockets.  
Then he burst into a mad glare as he lunged forward at Kylee, transforming into some half-man half-flame beast and roared.  
Kylee leapt back as Ragnarok neared, although she surprised herself by leaping so high back...  
"_Right...that is a dream...somewhat...So this means I could do anything to fight Ragnarok..."_ Kylee thought, realizing out the truth about her surroundings. "_So...last time I had been in this dream...it had been Impmon..."_

With a thought, her clothing started to shift out, transforming into the garments of Beelzemon, although she wasn't wearing any mask on her head, she still held out two guns in her hands.  
"So little girl wants to fight like a man eh?" Ragnarok spoke, smiling darkly. "All right then."  
"Don't worry, I'll make sure to finish what Regan and Ragnarastrasz started." Kylee said with a glare, aiming her guns at Ragnarok.  
"Heh...you'd wish." Ragnarok simply replied before he unleashed a huge wave of flames at Kylee. She quickly leapt sideways before aiming her guns straight at Ragnarok and unleashed volleys upon volleys of bullets.  
Ragnarok tried to evade most of them, but even then, he got pierced by tons of them...  
And even then, all the holes only refilled themselves. "Oh please...that was nothing..." Ragnarok said with another grin.  
"Guess we'll make it tougher then..." Kylee said. And with a flash, her guns were gone, replaced by a larger one that was her right hand now, along with black wings coming out of her back. Blast Mode.  
Ragnarok only grinned as he charged straight at Kylee.  
Kylee yelled as she aimed her gun at Ragnarok, charging it up...and released it at full power.  
A huge blast of power erupted from her gun before it struck Ragnarok, engulfing everything in an explosion...  
When Kylee managed to wake up...well she first realized that she might still be dreaming...Since she was on a dead plain instead and back in her normal clothes.  
"Is it over?" she wondered.  
Suddenly, bursting out of the ground in front of her was Ragnarok, and he reached forward to grab her, but while she moved, he only grabbed her hand. She suddenly stood frozen as she could only stare at the marred and smoking 'body' of Ragnarok. Her hand tightened into a fist only shook as Ragnarok still struggled with it, clearly seeking to take control of Kylee...  
"You won't win little girl, how do you think you'll be able to stand up to me eh?" Ragnarok said, growling.  
"I know what you are now...So I know how you can be held back..." Kylee said through a strained voice. "Good emotions...happiness...all that can push you back...My friends are what I need to push you back..."  
"Oh sure, your friends..." Ragnarok said. "The same friends that left you behind to go fight Ragnarastrasz..." he started.  
"I...I had already done enough by fighting you. Even Krasus didn't want me to go on." Kylee replied, straining hard.  
"Oh, and what about all those moments of your own weaknesses eh? All back then, you were still a lot confused and scared when Riza seemed to be getting stronger and you weaker...You'd think it was just the digimon who had problems? No...The Tamer too..."  
"N-No..." Kylee muttered, her fist shaking harder.  
"And there can be even more when you say that you're strong..." Ragnarok continued, smiling darkly, then brought Kylee's fist closer to him. "...when in fact you're a _weakling_!!!"  
He threw Kylee in the air.  
And then opened his arms wide before bursting in flames...and tendrils of flames came out of him, going straight for Kylee...before they wrapped around her arms and legs...  
...and one last headed straight for her heart...

And just as it started to tear through her skin, Kylee awoke, gasping and sweating hard, panicked.  
"Mmm...Something's wrong Kylee?" a sleepy Impmon asked out in the dark of the bedroom.  
"It...It was...It was just...a nightmare..." Kylee gasped out in breaths, slowly calming herself.  
"Oh...seemed like it was a bad one..." Impmon said before going back to sleep.  
Seconds later, Kylee heard the snoring of the digimon...  
Kylee remained silent for a while, still breathing slowly...  
...then smiled...

"Oh...it was a very good nightmare I should say..." she then spoke, her smile growing darker...before a red light briefly flared in her eyes.

'Kylee' then went back to sleep.  
"_There will be much to do soon tomorrow..."_ Ragnarok thought.  
"_After all...let's make sure that tomorrow, Regan and her friends won't just depart for the Digital World...but depart of their lives..."_


	17. Through the flames of friends

_Ragnarok is well known for being sinister in many ways. Being at its core basis a being of a parasitic nature, it makes him very difficult to defeat without true risks. And yet we still haven't discovered the truth behind his 'immortality'...  
Defeating an enemy that never seems to die, that appears to constantly return does make things very complex...for all of us..._

**Chapter 17 : Through the flames of friends...**

The sun slowly rose above Phoenix City, although in the meantime, Krasus was keeping to himself deep underground the city.  
Today was the day. He would return Regan, Kari and their digimon partners to the Digital World. Of course, knowing the children, they would want to make some goodbyes to the Tamers first. And that would have to come after the school time of the Tamers.

Krasus had started to remove some of the many devices he had put up in his hideout, while silently pondering at the same time...Many things had happened indeed...but he wondered most about the aftermath of those events...

Suddenly, one of the devices started to flare up, and immediately, Krasus felt up a wrongness, coming out as a warning from one of his many scrying spells.

It appeared that there was still something odd somewhere rather far away in this world...  
But it shouldn't be anything too hard for Krasus to handle on his own. There were no reasons to why he should warn out the children to this. He could easily deal with this on his own.

With that, he prepared out a spell that would send him in the place where he sensed the disturbance, readying himself to put an end to this loose end...

---

"_This should keep him busy enough..."_ he thought.  
Ragnarok stared out at his reflection in a mirror, showing out none other than the face of Kylee Henke. He had successfully managed to possess and take over Kylee's mind, and now her body was his, her soul brought into submission...

'Kylee' kept looking at herself with some interest, a pondering look present in her face.  
"Well...I must say, I never really took any consideration in any previous hosts, but I'd say that in appearance, Kylee Henke, you'll be quite fine...Especially for what I will do thanks to you..." 'Kylee' mused to 'herself' as 'she' gazed in the mirror.

"Hey Kylee, are you gonna stay locked in the bathroom all morning or what?" the tired voice of Impmon asked from the other side of the door.  
"Okay, okay, I'll be out soon...geez..." 'Kylee' replied, sounding a bit annoyed.  
Then 'she' looked at herself in the mirror again...before smiling darkly. "I won't need Kylee for too long though..."

---

Regan slowly started to stir up. For once, he found the bed to be surprisingly comfy.  
"Good morning Regan..." a familiar voice rung in his ears. Regan turned his head, looking at his other side only to find his nose inches from...Kari's face...  
"Gyahhh!" Regan quickly pulled back and rose up, almost falling down from the bed at the same time. "What's wrong with you Kari?!?"  
Kari only giggled a bit at the sight of Regan's flustered expression. "Not much...although I liked seeing that peaceful face you had when you were sleeping..." she said on a seemingly kind tone...which only made Regan feel more uncomfortable... "Why's that?" he replied with a bit of a moan.  
Kari's smile started to fade as she looked away somewhat. "...Maybe...because it made me glad to see a peaceful smile on your face...because I haven't seen those often from you..."  
"Oh..." Regan realized what Kari meant...  
In all those times he had been in the Digital World...when had he really been content?  
A few times maybe, like when he finally found his sister in the Digital World, but most times...he was fairly neutral, and concerned...  
Now that he thought about it...Regan didn't had a lot of happy moments...  
Most of his time in the Digital World has been laced with pain...and even deaths...  
Regan then felt someone grip his right hand gently. "You changed Regan." Kari said, sitting closer to him.  
"That was obvious..." Regan darkly said.  
"Not just in that way Regan..." Kari said a bit sadly. "What I mean is that you've been through some many changes ever since you got in the Digital World...and it's perfectly fine..."  
"Heh, is it?" Regan sarcastically asked.  
Kari's eyes looked a bit down. "I know...No one else might have been through such radical changes like you had...not even me..." she added. She then released Regan's hand, holding her own hands together tightly instead, now looking uneasy.  
"I often considered myself...to be the one...who had gotten through perhaps the most radical changes...the one who had gone through the most because of her crest...  
...To be honest...It..." Kari went on, but hesitated.  
"It made you feel different, isolated from everyone else..." Regan continued darkly.  
"Y-Yes..." Kari replied. She took a long breath. "Because of that...I think you can understand some of my problems...  
But when I met you, I didn't thought at first you would be so complex..."  
Regan scorned. "Who would? It's literally like I've been 'made' so that everyone thinks I'm just an ordinary human while I'm not. And the way it was made can fool up anyone about it at first sight. No one would be suspecting that the 'Child of Life' is actually a boy with a fraction of a dragon's soul."  
"I know...And only those who would actually be spending a lot of time with you would realize that..." Kari continued. "But...when we discovered the truth about that...when we all faced Korialstrasz, at the Core..."  
Regan looked ready to interrupt again, clearly unpleased about that.  
"I know what you'd want to say. There's no need for that...  
But with all that happened that day...I couldn't help it...  
Because I knew and understood everything you were going through...To feel so different.  
Even if in your case, it's a lot more complex and deeper than for me, I still understood all of it, and to be honest, I'm not saying I still understand the whole depth of it. I don't think any human person would be able to. Not even me.  
But...at least...I know a good part of what you've been through...and what you're still going through..."  
She looked a bit down, more at her tightened hands...  
"That...That's why I've always wanted to help you Regan...I just can't help it...but it feels a really good thing to do." She added.  
"Because I'm a Digidestined? And a really important one?" Regan asked, a bit darkly.  
"No. Because you're a friend. A good one." Kari answered surprisingly swiftly. In a sense, Kari even surprised herself about being so quick to answer that...  
Regan's darker look started to fade a bit...turning to a more saddened look. "Kari..."  
In a sense, he knew a bit more about how Kari was. The first time he had met her he had been thinking she was some sort of strong leader. But with time, he realized how actually fragile and vulnerable she could be. Yet she was trying so hard to be some sort of leader for all the Digidestined there, considering she was the only one with true experience about the Digital World.  
That was also why he tried so hard to help her...no matter what...  
After all...Kari...she does matters to Regan...and quite a lot...  
"I'm sorry Kari. To have been nothing but a burden...I don't guess I've been quite impressive lately..." he said.  
"...None of us has actually...all of us had our dark moments..." Kari started.  
"Still...I can't say I make one heck of a good Digidestined sometimes..." Regan said, looking down. It was clearly his turn to be more depressed.  
Kari only showed concern before thinking. "Regan..." she said on a more serious tone. "Do you really want to know how much I think of you as a Digidestined?"  
Regan looked a bit up and uncertain, seeing that unusual serious tone and expression from Kari. Now he felt more like a kid being lectured by his parents.  
Her expression softened and she smiled sweetly. "I'd say you couldn't have been doing any better Regan..."  
Regan got a bit surprised. He didn't thought she would consider him _that_ good. Mainly since most of the time, it's Lizomon who does the work, not him. And he felt _really_ uncomfortable under that smile from Kari...  
"And heck, it ain't just because of me doing the big work Regan!" Lizomon suddenly interrupted. The two children suddenly looked toward the room's door, seeing their digimon partners at the door frame, looking that they had been there since a good while now...  
Now Regan felt a lot more uneasy and uncomfortable, partly because of the comments, but also knowing that Lizomon and Gatomon were listening on the conversation for the whole time...and Kari too seemed a bit uneasy about that fact.  
"Hey, if you're a little worried about that little talk you two have been having..." Lizomon said as he jumped on the bed, while giving out a little nudge on Regan's arm as he winked slyly at him(which didn't helped the situation at all...) "You don't have to worry about anyone else learn anything about it."  
"Don't worry. I won't let Tai learn of that one..." Gatomon added with a smile of her own. "Or pretty much anyone else for that matter...Okay, Krasus might be an exception though..." she finished with a bit of an annoyed frown.  
"You know, it's not like we're some-" Regan started.  
"Couple?" Lizomon finished with a smile.  
Both children blushed.  
"Meh. Dunno if we can say you two are a couple or not." Lizomon added as he paced somewhat on the bed. "But I think it's obvious what you two are right now : Some really good friends.  
And it's only natural that good friends have to help out each other, so it's fine by us. Even if some others might look at this with a different eye..." Lizomon added on a sneakier tone.  
Kari fidgeted a bit regarding what Lizomon just said. "Well Regan...I was thinking about something..."  
"What exactly?" Regan said. He didn't felt that comfortable with what had just been said.  
"Would you mind that we spend the rest of the day together, going on around in the city?" she asked, a bit more uneasily.  
Regan paused, now looking even more uneasy.

"...This isn't a date...right?" he asked.  
"N-No! Nothing like that, really!" Kari said, backing away slightly, blushing as well. "It's just...after all...today might be the last day we'll really have some peace before we'll go back to the Digital World..." she said.  
"You know, you could also say the _True_ Digital World..." Lizomon added.  
"...We don't need to say that." Gatomon added.  
"Still, we never made mention of that to the others, right?" Lizomon replied.  
The others remained silent about that fact.  
Although right now, what weighted more in Regan's mind was whether or not he should accept Kari's 'offer'.

"...Alright...I'll go on with you Kari..." he added.  
"Oh, you're going to do that?" Lizomon asked.  
"And you're not invited." Regan glared at Lizomon.  
"No can do Regan. We will be coming around, whether you like it or not. You can bet we want to keep a good eye on your guys." Lizomon said. "But no worries. We'll be keeping up our distances..." he added with a smile.  
"And you're not against that Kari?" Regan asked to Kari.  
"Well...I guess we should be okay with that. Besides, I don't think they'd want some 'similar' events to...happen again..." she added, a bit more uneasily.  
"Fine..." Regan said. "Just let me go change up and I'll be coming soon." He said as he got out of the bed and took his clothes before going for the bathroom.  
As he closed the door, Kari still looked at the bathroom's door, slightly relieved.  
"Thanks Regan..." she muttered.

---

"Uhhh..."

She had finally started to wake up...only to find her previous nightmare having ended for another one...  
Kylee found herself in that same distorted landscape she had seen some times ago, only this time, greenish flames now flared every now and then.  
And to add it up, she wasn't exactly well either...considering she was 'restrained' on some dark pole...  
More or less that is. Mainly because her hands and feet were half-'inside' the pole, while trails of green flames were wrapped all around her...some even passing through her.  
Along with some that were firmly attached to her stomach and head...

"Well...looks like someone is waking up here..." a darkly familiar voice spoke...before a shadow rose out of the ground and took on a humanoid shape before revealing the presence of Ragnarok, darkly smiling.

"R-Ragnarok..." Kylee muttered.  
"Enjoying the place? I hope you don't mind the...'redecoration'..." Ragnarok said, smirking. "But I guess you aren't going anywhere, are you?" he added.  
"Y-You damn..." Kylee started, but she felt far too weak to be able to do something. "I don't get it...You got my body now...so why didn't you..."

"Killed you? Erased your soul?" Ragnarok interrupted. "My good little Kylee, you are quite the short-sighted one, aren't you?" Ragnarok said as he started approaching the restrained Kylee. "Because I need you alive. I think that would be obvious...

While I can have no problems handling out that simplistic human body of yours, your soul is still of use to me..."

No doubt Ragnarok didn't destroyed her, but was keeping her in a weakened state, just to be sure to keep control of her body. If Kylee was fully recovered, then maybe she could try to fight. She couldn't accept Ragnarok being so successful right now. They had beaten him, and yet he still finds the way so that he could potentially kill all of them!!!  
She tried pulling on her limbs, trying to move, but the only thing she did was to feel briefs wave of pain throughout herself.

Ragnarok chuckled. "Oh please, as if you had any chances for that...I told you, you're too weak-minded. And soon...I'll be able to get my proper revenge...along with a more fitting body..."

"W-Who?" Kylee asked desperately. "Krasus?"

Ragnarok sneered. "No. That old one is far too strong willed to be even possessed. He could be able to stop me completely if he would be around...  
But no, I'm not interested in him.  
Regan on the other hand..."

Of course! Ragnarok was once 'born' from Regan! And ultimately, it always appeared that Ragnarok wanted Regan, but what exactly would happen if Ragnarok would succeed?  
Kylee shuddered at that thought...as her head fell down as much as possible as it was due to the bonds.  
Ragnarok chuckled once more. "Don't worry my good little Kylee host. Soon, I will be whole once more...and you will have served your proper purpose for me..." he said as he touched Kylee's cheek with a finger, before sliding it further down to her chin and removed it from her face.

"Heh...I don't think you can win Ragnarok..." Kylee said darkly, slowly raising her head.  
"Why's that little girl?" Ragnarok asked with another sneer.  
"Right now, you control my body, right? That means you have to 'be' me.

I don't think that a psycho like you could imitate me." Kylee said with a dark smile.

Ragnarok only showed up a dark smile of his own. "Oh, I'd love to bet on that one!" he replied out sinisterly. "But that would be a lost cause." He added, raising his hands in the air and making a shrug as he turned away from Kylee. "But since you're probably so curious, and I should also have some manners as a guest to my host, I guess I can show you how I'll be going on...  
Have fun enjoying the upcoming show...  
After all, you got the best spectator seat for it..."

With that, Ragnarok became engulfed in shadows before vanishing away.

And suddenly, Kylee's vision suddenly changed. She could still see that she was in her 'distorted mind'...but she also saw...the real thing...

She could see herself walk the road, dressed in her school uniform, heading out for school, school bag on the back and Impmon walking alongside 'her'.  
The vision blurred...before what Kylee now saw...was 'her sight'.  
She saw exactly what 'Kylee' was seeing. She could feel everything 'she' would.  
...and she had no control over any of those current actions...  
She was a prisoner of her own body...

"Hey Kylee!" a voice greeted her ears. She turned her head to see Riza and Veemon approaching, the boy dressed in school uniform.  
"_Riza!!! It's not me! It's Ragnarok!"_ Kylee wanted to yell, but that didn't came out of her mouth at all.  
"_Oh, you think it could be that easy eh? Watch this."_ the voice of Ragnarok echoed out in her mind...and she felt her mouth opening to speak. "Hey there Riza." 'She' said, on a bit of a tired tone.  
"What's wrong Kylee? You don't look that great." Riza said as he neared her with a concerned face.  
'Kylee' sighed. "Sorry...had a nightmare last night..."  
"Yeah, I get what you mean..." Riza said on a sympathising tone. "Heck, I wonder how I was able to sleep last night. I just kept thinking of all that just happened yesterday."  
"Well, that too..." 'Kylee' added, saddened. "Today...they're leaving..."  
"Yeah...I had almost forgotten they'd had to leave..." Riza said.  
"Oh well, it was fun for a while when they were here..." Impmon replied, crossing his arms at the back of his head.  
"You know Impmon, can't say if being close to dying when fighting that Ragnarok freak is actually some 'fun'." 'Kylee' said, annoyed.  
"Oh...yeah...sorry..." Impmon said.  
"Well at least, we'll be able to give them some proper goodbyes before they'll leave after school..." Riza said.  
"Yeah...At least this time...it'll be a better end..." 'Kylee' said, smiling a bit as they neared the school's entrance...

Kylee was shocked. She couldn't believe what she felt and saw...  
It was her...and it wasn't.  
If Ragnarok was acting as her right now...he was doing it with a horrifying perfection!!!  
"N-no..." Kylee muttered, her mouth shaking.  
"_Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"_

And she heard Ragnarok laugh triumphantly.

---

Whether this was a date or not, Regan couldn't be certain about it, but a part of him wished he said 'no', while another part of him was happy that he said 'yes'. Whatever was his real thoughts on the subject, he couldn't really go back on that considering that right now, he and Kari(dressed up in her other clothes) were now calmly walking side-by-side in the streets of Phoenix City. Also, both Lizomon and Gatomon were following, but from a farther, and hidden distance.  
"So, what are we gonna do for the whole time? Just walk around the whole city?" Regan asked, a bit sarcastically annoyed.  
"Oh not really. I think there's a few things we could do together, to have fun." Kari replied with a smile.  
"Alright then..." Regan said with a false dramatic sigh. "Lead the way."

---

Kylee couldn't believe it...  
Ragnarok was actually capable of imitating her with unexpected perfection!!!  
She helplessly watched as she saw 'herself' talking happily with other friends during the break time.  
She knew that 'she' was smiling, yet no doubt a darker expression waited beneath that false smile...  
And no matter how hard she screamed, no one heard the plights of the trapped soul...  
No one besides her captor that is...

---

A little bit boring. That what school appeared to him. But he also understood the insects' logic about school. To teach out younglings about knowledge to use when they would be older.  
Bah, it didn't mattered to Ragnarok. All he had to do is keep playing the role for the moment...  
After all, that time is barely much a breath in the life of an immortal being...  
Ironically, constantly hearing the screams of Kylee also added up to Ragnarok's mood.

Oh yes...Things were definitively falling into place right now...  
And soon...he would truly be unstoppable...  
He would soon be whole...

---

While Regan and Kari had entered an arcade store, both Lizomon and Gatomon watched from a tree close to the store's main window.  
Right now, both Regan and Kari were playing against each other in a game apparently. Some sort of 'hockey on table' game apparently.  
"You know, I'm a bit glad." Lizomon said, perched on a branch as he watched.  
"Glad that it'll soon be over?" Gatomon asked as she remained standing on the same branch, aside Lizomon.  
"Not just that. I mean about Kari." He replied. Gatomon shot a bit of an annoyed expression at him. However, Lizomon didn't retaliated with some arrogant smile, but kept a serious glance, still gazing at the two playing children.  
"What I mean is that I'm glad Regan got to meet Kari. He learned much from her, and I'd say he deserved to get her as a friend.  
Regan suffered so much in the past. While it didn't seemed like it, he never was truly okay with his life, especially since he knows now that his life was actually made on purpose. He pretty much is...an artificially created human...although it's more of a controlled birth. Krasus worked very cleverly to make sure that Regan would be as inconspicuous as possible as a human.  
And to add it up, he lost his dad when later in his life, and his mother told him Krasus was the one responsible of his father's death." Lizomon said.  
"The truth is, that Krasus is indeed, partly responsible of his death..." Gatomon added.  
"Yet most of it was his dad's responsibility. He's the one who sacrificed his life. He did it clear of mind." Lizomon replied. "And then there was that strange sickness at Regan's school, with him being the only one who didn't got sick.  
Those events really made Regan feel a lot different from anyone else."  
"Kari was also a bit of a lonely person too...considering she was often sick when she was young. She couldn't get along with lots of people because of that." Gatomon said.  
"Ironic to say that it's the exact opposite of Regan. He's brimming with health. Pretty much an advantageous side-effect of having a dragon soul's fragment instead of a human soul. His body is even more empowered than it would. And a full dragon soul would have only made him inhuman..." Lizomon said, finishing darkly.  
Gatomon only nodded before looking back at the store, seeing Kari scoring a point against Regan. "At least Kari got better with the later years..." she said with a smile.  
"And I'd say its thanks to you Gatomon." Lizomon said. "Your influence in her life considerably changed her. It's just like she said it to Regan. What she didn't say though is that Digimon can change your life more than you can think..."  
"Ironic that with Regan, it looks more of an extreme change..." Gatomon said.  
"True..." Lizomon replied, looking as Kari made yet another point. But Regan was able to soon score a point of his own.  
"At least despite all those problems we had, we were able to make sure our partners changed in a good way..." Gatomon said, smiling.  
"Yeah..." Lizomon replied with a smile. Then he frowned. "Still, one thing is still bugging me right now..."  
"What is it?" Gatomon asked.  
"Ragnarok." Lizomon answered. "Last time we faced him, he wasn't alone. He had his 'Chaos' with him. Or rather, ChaosRyumon. This time though...we haven't seen ChaosRyumon, although Ragnarok did made a Bio-Modification based on ChaosRyumon."  
"Maybe because he wasn't able to bring him back...or he preferred to use Parallelmon instead." Gatomon said.  
"Maybe..." Lizomon mused darkly. He remained dark.  
"What now?" Gatomon asked.  
"Something ain't right..." Lizomon muttered.  
"What is it?" Gatomon asked, straightening, thinking of some unknown incoming attack.  
"Regan..." Lizomon muttered again, eyes narrowed.  
"What? What's wrong with him?" Gatomon asked. She didn't saw anything wrong with him."  
"He's not even really playing...He's letting Kari win on purpose..." Lizomon said.  
Gatomon paused, mouth half-open. "_That_ was the problem? Regan's letting Kari win?!? You call that a problem?!?" she asked, anger rising.  
"Well it's more because Kari was the one to bring him outside to have some peaceful time. She wanted to make Regan happy, not that he tries to make her happy. Geez Regan, stop being an idiot sometimes..." Lizomon said.  
"You think Kari would notice what Regan's doing?" Gatomon asked, peering with a narrowed gaze.  
Lizomon kept a slight gaze at the window, and saw Kari who seemed to frown, before she looked disappointingly at Regan, and started to say some things. Regan started to look hesitant.  
"Yep, she noticed." Lizomon said with a smile. "Way to go Regan. Congrats on being an idiot right now." He added, still smiling slyly.  
It now looked that Kari was pouting while Regan was looking apologetic, trying to make amends to Kari. She looked at him again, obviously bringing out some matter before Regan's head went down and he nodded. With that, both went on opposite sides of the table for the game, and restarted their game.  
"Now she wanted him to start all over again...and she surely wants Regan to be more serious this time..." Gatomon said with an amused smile.  
"Heh, despite all he knows, despite all those powers he has...  
Regan rather lack some skills when it may come to girls..." Lizomon added with a smirk.  
Now this time Gatomon shot a real annoyed glare at him. "This has nothing to do with that Lizomon..."  
Lizomon only chuckled.

---

School day was slowly coming to an end. The bell had just ringed, signalling the end of school.  
And now Ragnarok was smiling within Kylee. The moment was soon at hand...  
"_Stop this! Please!!! Stop it!!!"_ the voice of Kylee came into his mind. She had kept pleading over and over again for him to stop. There wasn't anything else should could do besides that and screaming. She definitively was at the edge.

"_Stop now good little host? Oh, why should I?"_ Ragnarok mentally replied, just while he was also happily talking to Riza and some other 'school friends' at the same time, smiling happily at them just as he was smiling evilly within...

No doubt that soon the others two would be around...Time for action was very soon indeed...  
"Bye guys, see ya tomorrow!" 'Kylee' said, waving at her friends before leaving the school, Impmon in tow.  
"See ya!" a few other friends yelled back.  
"Hey Kylee, wait up!" Riza said, followed by his partner.  
"No worries Riza, I'm waiting." 'Kylee' said as 'she' slowed her pace slightly.  
"So, are we gonna go to their hideout?" Riza asked.  
"No...I don't think we'd be doing the goodbyes there..." 'Kylee' said, thoughtful.  
"Huh? Where then?" Veemon asked.  
"Lizomon showed us a place yesterday. A park. It was there that they arrived in our world the first time. I think it would be better there..." 'Kylee' said.  
"...Yeah, you're right Kylee. Let's go then..." Riza said.  
"Yeah..." 'Kylee' muttered.

But within, Ragnarok smiled even more.

Impossible! How could Ragnarok knew?!? How did he even knew about the park, or his discussion with Lizomon yesterday?!?  
"Mmm...you seemed troubled little Kylee..." Ragnarok said as he reappeared to Kylee. "Let me guess, you're wondering why I seem to be so perfect in imitating you, right?" he asked sinisterly.  
Kylee said nothing, besides watching helplessly.  
"In fact, it's all thanks to you." Ragnarok said.  
"What?!? Me?!?" Kylee said. "How?!?"  
"Your memories, your feelings. All of this, I can read them, I can see them, I can feel them as much as I want.  
_That_ was the reason why I kept you little Kylee...so that you would serve as my 'guide' to imitate you...And you've helped me a lot up to now..." Ragnarok said, smiling.  
Kylee's mouth opened wide in shock.  
"Keep it up little Kylee. We're soon over...Very soon...Mwueheheheh..." Ragnarok said as he started to chuckle...then exploded in laughers as he vanished in darkness again.  
Kylee helplessly watched with despair where Ragnarok was a few moments ago.  
Ragnarok was going to succeed...He was going to win despite all their efforts they had put up against him...  
...and it was all her fault...  
Tears fell from her eyes as her head fell down.  
"It can't end like this...please...  
Anyone...anyone, hear me...help me...  
...please..."

---

"Darn it, I still can't get over it." Regan said darkly, holding his chin tightly with a hand, his expression deeply serious.  
"Regan..." Kari said, a little bit worried. "Don't you think you're taking that a little too seriously?"  
"You know Regan, she's right." Lizomon added with his usual tone.  
"Choosing some sort of gift for them isn't that much of a hard thing." Gatomon added.

They were in a small trinket shop...choosing a few things to offer out as little parting gifts to Riza and Kylee.  
While Kari had chosen a simple ring with a fake purple gem for Kylee, Regan hadn't managed to choose anything...and his frustration was becoming obvious...

"Judging from his looks, I'd say we'll have to wait quite a while before he'll have chosen something." Lizomon said calmly.  
"Problem is, Kylee and Riza are probably over with school now. Shouldn't we go meet them?" Gatomon said.  
"Well, as soon as Regan is done with choosing his gift, we'll be going." Kari answered.  
"Nah, you two can go on without me and Lizomon. We'll catch up later." Regan said.  
"You're sure it's a good idea?" Gatomon said.  
Oddly enough, Kari seemed uncertain.  
"Is there something wrong Kari?"  
"Uhhmm, well..." Kari started, looking hesitant.  
Lizomon simply arched an 'eyebrow' as he brought up a little smile, seeing how Kari was acting.  
"Regan...there was something I wanted to ask you..." Kari said.  
Regan brought up a concerned look to Kari. "What is it?" he asked.  
"...I'd like that...we make...a promise..." Kari said, flustering slightly.  
"A promise?" Regan repeated, a bit curious about what would have made Kari so hesitant about it, and also, why did she asked for that right now?  
"Most often, when we've been travelling together in the Digital World, we've been watching each others' backs. Of course, we do this because we're worried about each other...  
But...there was something else I'd want..." Kari started.  
"What is it?" Regan asked  
"Regan...Would you promise me...That, no matter what, we will return home...together?" Kari asked.  
Lizomon simply closed his eyes at hearing those words, remaining neutral. But he understood Kari's reasoning.  
And so did Regan. He understood perfectly what Kari meant...  
Indeed, both Regan and Kari were watching each others' backs when they had to, and helping out the other Digidestined in the Digital World as well.  
But what Kari actually referred to...was Regan's own selfless actions when he often brought his own life at risk to the extreme when protecting others...like when he blocked the path for all the other Digidestined so that he would go face ErebosRyumon alone, the first time they met Ragnarok in his new human form...

That's what she actually referred to...Regan's various times when he critically risked his life to save others...

Slowly pondering, Regan thought deeply about this.

"Will you promise me...Regan?" Kari asked, offering her right hand to Regan.  
Regan remained silent for a while...before he opened his eyes. And he took Kari's hand tightly with his own.  
"Yeah, it's a promise." He answered; smiling as he raised their hands to their faces...as a pink and red glow slowly surged from within their hands...from their respective crests...

Kari smiled gently as well. "Thank you Regan..." she said.  
"Hey, we're friends after all..." Regan said. Kari only smiled again at that.

"I'll go on ahead then. I'll wait for you at the park." Kari said.  
"Yeah...I don't think there's a more perfect place than there. See ya soon Kari..." Regan said kindly...before he frowned. "...As soon as I manage to choose something..." he added, rubbing his hairs frantically. Lizomon only chuckled while Kari giggled as she left.

When she left the shop, she smiled again, hopeful...  
There was hope...more than ever now...

---

"Here we are." 'Kylee' said as they arrived at the park.  
"Geez, never thought they had actually arrived here the first time." Riza said.  
"Well Lizomon also said they arrived here the second time too. Impmon added.  
"I wonder if there isn't anything special related to the Digital World here...Maybe that's why they always landed here when they came in our world..." Veemon pondered.

"Maybe..." 'Kylee' muttered, as she gazed away, a slight empty gaze in 'her' eyes...  
"Kylee? Is there something-" Impmon started as he neared Kylee.  
"Look out!" 'Kylee' suddenly shouted.

Forms of darkness suddenly bursted out of the ground in various spots around them, taking on the shape of some lizard-like monsters as they roared and hissed.

"The hell? What's that?!?" Impmon said as one of the creatures suddenly lunged at him, but he quickly leapt away.

"These can't be those black things from Ragnarok, right?!? He's dead!" Veemon said.  
"Let's just check later Veemon!" Riza said, taking out his digivice and a card. "Digi-modify! Armor Digivolution, Activate!"

"_Veemon, Armor Digivolve to...FlameDramon, the Fire of Courage!!!"_

"Impmon?" 'Kylee' asked as she took out her own digivice.  
"Ready!" Impmon said.

However, one of the monsters suddenly went for Impmon, completely twisting itself into a formless mass of darkness that shot out tendrils, grabbing Impmon by suprise.  
"Impmon!!!" 'Kylee' yelled.

The tendrils raised Impmon high in the air, before they flung him away, sending him colliding on a tree with a very loud cracking sound...and Impmon slumped on the ground.  
"Impmon!" 'Kylee' started going for her partner, just as other creatures went for her.  
"Get them FlameDramon! Riza said.  
"Fire Rockets!" FlameDramon yelled before throwing several fireballs at the monsters, scoring perfect hits with each of his projectiles.

"There's too many of them! We're gonna get overwhelmed!" FlameDramon.  
"These should do the trick. Digi-Modify! Power Modify and High Speed Plug-In B!"  
FlameDramon quickly felt the sudden increase of power and speed in his body before quickly taking to action. With blazing speed, he started launching fire balls while moving like a rocket everywhere, taking out the remaining monsters in only a few moments.

"That wasn't so hard." FlameDramon said as he de-digivolved.  
"Kylee, is Impmon okay?" Riza asked as he came up to Kylee, who was checking on her partner. Veemon soon came in too.  
"Yeah...he looks fine...but out..." 'Kylee' said.  
"Geez, way to end up that day. I wonder what those things were..." Veemon said as he came up closer.

"_No!!!"_

'Kylee' suddenly reached forward...and grabbed Veemon by the neck before she threw him with enormous force, sending him crashing into a metal pole.

"K-K-Kylee?!?" Riza said, stepping backward in fear.

'Kylee' raised up and looked at Riza sinisterly...before 'her' eyes flared red for a moment...

"A bit too naïve to trust up a girl you care for, eh little Riza?" 'Kylee' said...but not just with Kylee's voice...There was another voice in the mix...

"...Ragnarok?!?" Riza said.

'Kylee' only grinned before 'she' seemed to lunge at Riza, but instead flames came bursting from her right arm, taking on the shape of a giant clawed hand which rushed at Riza.  
The poor boy barely evaded the enormous flaming hand before it slightly retracted, then made a large backhand swing at Riza...this time catching him up with full force in the face.  
Riza went flying backward...before collapsing in the grass...and ceased moving.

"_N-no...It can't be...Riza..."_

"Aww, patience little Kylee..." 'Kylee' said outloud, using her 'normal' voice again. "It'll be soon over..."

Ragnarok sensed two more coming...  
Perfect...

Both Kari and Gatomon neared the park, Kari a little bit thoughtful about their upcoming departure...until they suddenly heard a scream...along with some monstrous roar.  
Surprising, they both darted forward...to see something close to the lines of a nightmare...

Impmon, Veemon and Riza were all knocked out cold on the ground...and there was a large monstrous reptilian beast of darkness standing on its hind legs which was slowly going for Kylee, who was kneeled close to Riza.

"Gatomon!" Kari said as she took out her digivice.  
Gatomon nodded as she started to glow...

"_Gatomon, digivolve to...Angewomon!!!"_

The angel digimon quickly aimed up her left arm at the beast.  
And just as Angewomon readied her arrow, the monster turned its head toward the angel, noticing its presence.

"Celestial Arrow!"

The light arrow went soaring in air before it stopped dead into the monster's chest who went gurgling and flailing before it exploded in black smoke.

Angewomon de-digivolved as Gatomon and Kari quickly hurried to Kylee and the unconscious Riza's side.

"Kylee! What happened?!?" Kari asked.  
"Some...strange monsters...They looked like Ragnarok's old monsters..." 'Kylee' said.  
"It's all right now Kylee...they're all gone now..." Kari said.  
"Where's Regan?" 'Kylee' asked, a bit worried.  
"He should be coming soon." Kari replied.  
"Good." 'Kylee' added before suddenly rising and punching Gatomon with unsuspected force.  
And Kari barely looked at 'Kylee' to see her darkly smirk...which was followed by an unexpectedly strong backhand hit to the head, causing her to fall on the ground, her head spinning before she blacked out, in complete confusion.

"_N-no...it can't end like this...Stop it!!! Now!!!"_ pleaded Kylee once more.  
"Don't be too worried Kylee, you did perfectly, but now your usefulness has come to an end." Ragnarok replied.

And suddenly, Kylee's body jerked before she fell on her knees, coughing...before greenish flames and black smoke poured out of her mouth.  
Kylee shook for a good while, her mind completely spinning...she brought a hand to her face...  
Wait...her hand to her face?  
Stunned, Kylee actually looked again at her own hand, and flexed her fingers, which perfectly responded to her mind...  
...which meant Ragnarok wasn't in her anymore...  
But now, realizing what were his last words...Kylee dreaded to know what other host Ragnarok might have decided to take...  
Footsteps neared her before she noticed the shadow of someone coming to her...and suddenly found herself gripped by the neck, and lifted in the air before seeing the face of the one who had just held her...

Kari Kamiya.

Or rather...Ragnarok _within_ Kari Kamiya...

Considering the fact that she was now smiling darkly at her, flares of flames visible in her eyes.  
"Like I said Kylee, I didn't used you for that long. Besides, I don't think you'd be really convincing to Regan...and it'll be so much better for Regan to be attacked by the one he cares most for...don't you agree?" Kari, or rather, Ragnarok said.

'She' then threw Kylee straight into the trunk of a tree before she fell down, her head still spinning, her mind and body in clear state of confusion. It was clear Ragnarok wasn't so nice with her body.  
Kylee tried to focus, but her vision started to blur...before she fell down, all the while, seeing the smirk on the face of Kari...Ragnarok's smirk...

Things were now perfectly falling into place. All of Regan's friends had been dealt with for now, leaving only Regan and his partner for now, which were coming soon, according to Kari's memories. And taking control of her body in her unconscious state was an easy task too.

He would enjoy her screams if she would wake up while he'll deal up with Regan while using her body...

But now one last detail remained...

"Something's weird in the air...smells like smoke..." Lizomon said.  
"Smoke? At the park?" Regan asked, a bit concerned.  
"No...not just that...smells a lot like those dark monsters Ragnarok had made before!" Lizomon replied.

Both quickly hurried to the center of the park...to find an unexpected scene...

They saw Kylee, Riza, Impmon, Veemon, and even Gatomon all unconscious, and some of them wounded...and in the middle of the place, was Kari, on her knees, a hollow gaze in her eyes.

"Kari!!!" Regan yelled. She jerked and looked at him, surprised. And when he came up close to her, she almost broke into tears, throwing herself in Regan's arms, much to his surprise.

"K-Kari...what happened?!?" Regan asked, completely caught off-guard.

"R-Regan..." Kari said with a sob. "It was...It was Ragnarok...He came back..."  
"Ragnarok?!?" both Lizomon and Regan said.  
"Where is he now?!? What just happened?!? How did he survived?!?" Regan asked repeatedly while trying to confort her.  
"A-A host...he had a human host..." Kari answered, still looking shocked.  
"Darn it..." Lizomon cursed. "Who did he used as a host?"  
"...It was Kylee..." Kari said.

Regan's heart skipped a beat. "Kylee?" he started, shocked, then his expression darkened. "That damn Ragnarok...if he's still around, I'm going to break him apart!" he added in anger.  
"Question is, 'is he still around?'" Lizomon said.  
"I-I think he is..." Kari said, still sobbing.  
"Everything's okay now Kari..." Regan said calmly.  
"No doubt though, he's probably close by..." Lizomon said.

"Closer than you think."

Sharp pain coursed through Regan as he suddenly backed away from Kari, just as she withdrew away her hand...which was now covered by flaming claws...

With pure instinct, Lizomon quickly started to dart forward, however Kari suddenly whipped her hand around her, bringing out a blazing line of flames that suddenly spread out and struck Lizomon, sending him flying away...

But the dragon digimon didn't gave it up that quickly. Beating up on his wings, he realigned himself in the air before starting to dive down once more...  
...but enormous walls of flames suddenly raised up, forming an enormous dome of fire around a large portion of the park...and blocking straight into Lizomon's path.

The digimon stopped inches from the wall before he punched the wall, but with no results.  
"Damn it!!!" he cursed.  
"Just where the hell are you Krasus?!? We need you now!" Lizomon yelled.

Inside the dome, Regan had half-fallen on a knee, looking in shock at Kari.

The flames on her hand faded before she rested it on her hip. "Are you that surprised Regan? Or just so predictable?" she said.

"...Ragnarok?!? But, how?!?" Regan said, still in shock.

"I first have to thanks Kylee for having been a useful host when my former body was shattered by 'yourself'." Kari said...but with a different voice...Both her normal voice...and Ragnarok's... "And I also have to thank her for having been so useful to take on another host in the meantime..."

"You damn beast! Get out of Kari's body now!" Regan angrily yelled.  
"Oh I will Regan...although it'll be more on the lines of taking on a new, more proper body...or more specifically, your body!" Ragnarok replied.

"Y-You..." Regan started, but remained silent as he grunted from pain. He looked farther down at his stomach, where Ragnarok had left three bloody marks from his flaming claws...

"I'm not gonna let you take my body...Besides, you know you can't control me." Regan said darkly.

"Oh, I didn't forget that detail my good Regan...But you see, I've just hit you with a special little poison of mine. It'll slowly weaken you up, and can potentially kill you as well...although there is a cure for it...which is me...

Oh, and I made it just for you, ain't it nice from me?" Ragnarok said with a dark smile...or rather, a dark smile on Kari's face.

"And you think I'll accept your cure? Don't count on it. I'll find a way to cure myself without you.  
Besides, Krasus will probably show up soon." Regan replied, slowly getting back up as best as he could.

"Oh, about him...I laid out a little trap far away on this little world, just for him...  
Well, I couldn't have him get in my way, riiiight?" Ragnarok said, making a shrug with 'her' shoulders.

Regan almost paled. Ragnarok had carefully planned out his moves to try to get him...And now...he was alone...against Ragnarok...who was using Kari both as a host, and a shield.

"_Alone young Regan? I rather doubt it?"  
"Huh? Are you..."  
"Your true shadow, of course. You seem so forgetful about me Regan."  
"Ragnarastrasz...but...how can you...be?"  
"Well...you could say I am rather obstinate...rather like 'someone' else you should know well...  
Jokes aside, remember that you are me, and despite your human state, you have hold of things ordinary humans would not."  
"Such as?"  
"Draconic knowledge. My knowledge."  
"I've never used your knowledge before!"  
"On the contrary Regan. Your crest powers are all derived from my essence. Whenever you shielded yourself and others, healed others or even summoned my presence to aid you, it is all drawn from the ancient knowledge that exists within myself...which is also yourself...  
So, despite what you think, you are not alone, and there is much you can do...Let myself guide and aid you, understood?" _

"Just give it up, and it'll just make things easy Regan." Ragnarok said before 'she' suddenly raised 'her' hand, summoning a massive greenish fireball which was then hurled at Regan.

The fireball exploded straight on Regan, just as he had started a defensive gesture...

The flames kept consuming whatever shield Regan had obviously summoned...  
Ragnarok grinned. Of course Regan would be trying to protect himself with his usual shield trick...but that wouldn't last really long...

Suddenly, a massive crimson shockwave erupted from the flames, completely snuffing them away...before the shockwave exploded on Ragnarok, sending 'her' flying back before crashing on the grass.

"Ragnarok...there were some things you forgot in your calculations..." Regan started, slowly standing fully upright, eyes closed.  
"The fact that...I am never alone!!!" he yelled, opening his eyes brightly.  
And one thing Ragnarok actually noticed when 'she' raised was that the wound he had previously inflicted on Regan...was gone!!!

"H-How?!? Impossible!!!" Ragnarok yelled.

"Not as impossible as you'd think...when you add up a certain factor..." Regan said...before he gave out a strong glare at Ragnarok.

Ragnarok kept a dark gaze at Regan...before he sneered. "Whatever. You still won't last long anyway."

With that, Ragnarok leapt at Regan with surprising speed, and he barely had any time to raise up his hand, forming up yet another shield, blocking out a kick sent by Ragnarok, which banged hard on the shield before Ragnarok leapt back.

"_Man...Never thought he would go that fast..."_ Regan thought. "_Or maybe it was Kari that never really showed up all she could do, thanks to her Bio-Modify...or it's just Ragnarok's amplifying everything he has on Kari right now...Probably that."_

"_Regan? What are you doing?"_ a voice suddenly intruded in Regan's mind. For a moment, he stood in shock before recognizing the voice : Lizomon.  
Regan had nearly forgot that Lizomon could still talk to him thanks to a link that was created between the two of them ever since their very first Bio-Merge...A link that could allow both to not only talk to the other, but see and hear what the other felt. No doubt Lizomon was now checking up on Regan, since he was locked outside the fire dome made by Ragnarok.  
"_I'm a little busy at the moment if you didn't noticed..."_ Regan mentally replied with a 'sour tone'. "_Could you try to find Krasus? Ragnarok said he had made a trap for him!"  
"On my way!"_ Lizomon mentally replied. "_And go kick out Ragnarok's ass for all of us, will ya? I know you can do it!"_

"_Riiiight..."_ Regan thought. He did not felt as much confident as Lizomon might be. After all, he wasn't the one fighting Ragnarok who currently was using Kari as a host body. While he didn't hesitate to use wild and dangerous powers, Regan was partly unsure about the powers that were at his disposal...

Ragnarok crouched low, a dark smirk visible on 'her' face before she charged right at Regan, but suddenly jumped before slamming the ground with heavy force, creating out a large fire wave on the ground, straight at Regan, who had to leapt sideways to evade it. Regan then raised his hand before he slammed it down on the ground too, creating a red shockwave of his own aimed at Ragnarok, who simply leapt high in the air to evade it.

"What's the matter Regan? Despite those new powers, looks like you aren't even trying to fight. What's wrong eh?" Ragnarok said sarcastically as he landed.

Regan only gave him a glare.

"Oh...you want to save Kari eh? How adorable..." Ragnarok sneered. "But if you do want to save her, if you want me to leave her, you can still accept to become my new host. And I promise you I'd leave her alone."

"As if..." Regan snorted. "If I give myself to you, you might spare her at first, but you'll kill her and everyone else soon after.  
Along with this entire world...and you'd go world after world...  
There's no way I would let you do that."

"Well, I guess I'll have to go rougher..." Ragnarok said.

With that, 'his' back arched forward...before large fiery wings erupted from Kari's back. Flames started to spiral around Kari's right arm as well.

Ragnarok held his right hand at Regan. An immense blast of light and flames erupted from Kari's hand, going straight for Regan. Regan quickly brought up a shield, but he felt an immense pressure when the blast struck his defences. That attack was a lot more powerful than anything else Ragnarok had used before...

"It's just so impressive...  
Really impressive. To say Kari hold such enormous power...and she's just so shy in using it. She barely ever wants to use it, yet she doesn't seem to realize her enormous potential...  
Well, I'll be doing her a favour...by combining up her powers with mine..." Ragnarok said, smirking darkly at the end.  
With that, Ragnarok readied up another attack...

---

She woke up, burning pain flowing into her body...And it took massive effort to open her eyes, not trying to fall again into unconsciousness...  
Only to realize she was in some sort of twisted nightmare...  
Kari didn't exactly understood what had happened. The last thing she remembered was that strange dark smirk on Kylee's face...A smirk reminiscent of Ragnarok...

But she now was restrained in some sort of twisted place, by flaming tendrils that seemed to have penetrated her own form, completely pinning her to some sort of pole behind her.

But just as she had started to get some sort of bearing, she also started to see something else...

Herself...attacking Regan...But it wasn't her...  
Then it dawned on her...

It was Ragnarok. As impossible as it seemed, he was still alive...and maybe...he had somehow been in Kylee...

...before he went in _her_...

"N-no...Regan..." Kari muttered.

She then saw 'herself' launch out some sort of withering blast at Regan, which clearly send him down on the ground. He did tried to fight...but he was hesitating...

"No...I can't...I can't let that happen..." she muttered again, in despair.

"Regan!!!!!" she yelled with all her strength, as she saw Ragnarok ready to attack once more...

---

The lastest blow send by Ragnarok had pummelled Regan on the ground with heavy force. He probably felt a bit lucky to not have any broken bones...yet...

Ragnarok stood on the ground, flames and light mixed in his hands as he prepared another attack. One strong enough to finish up Regan once and for all...

Regan gritted his teeth, as he tried to ready himself as best as possible...

Ragnarok started to raise his hands...then he froze, before he started to jerk slightly, his expression contorting into uneasiness, then pain...and then, despair?

"R-Regan!" The voice just said, coming out of Kari's mouth...but it didn't sounded like Ragnarok at all...It clearly sounded as...Kari's?!?

"K-Kari?!? Is that really you?!?" Regan said, confused and shocked.

The wings in Kari's back started to faze before slowly dissipating. Her body was shaking badly.  
Somehow...she was able to fight off Ragnarok's presence in her! But...for how long?

"Re-Regan...you...you have to stop him!!! Ra-Ragnarok...H-He's in me!!!" she said, each word clearly requiring a large amount of strength to pull out.

"I know that...but...what can I do?!?" Regan said, still confused. He was shocked by that sudden turn of events...and yet...he just didn't knew what to do...

"You-you can st-stop him Reg-Regan....You ha-have the po...the power to...do it! Y...Your crest...can do it!" Kari said, still sounding despaired. The flames on her body had all but faded, but there was clear fear present in her face, as she kept struggling against Ragnarok's presence.

"P-please! Seal him! D-Do what-whatever it ta-takes...to des-destroy him!!!" Kari shouted.

"...But...But Kari! I can't do that...If I would...then you...you could be..." Regan started, but stopped, hesitant.

"Y-You have to, pl-please!!!" she pleaded.

"And what about our promise?!?" Regan replied in anger. "You made me promise that we'd go back together, and you want to break that now?!?"

"I...I'm....I'm sorry..." Kari managed to say.

Tears started to flow down from her eyes. "Please..." she pleaded again.

Regan's head went down, his right hand tightened heavily.

Kari gasped, before she started to jerk. Something was wrong with her...  
However, just as Ragnarok seemed to regain control, someone came from behind Kari.

Riza. He brought up his arms around Kari, holding her as tightly and as best as he could.

"Let me go you wrench!" Ragnarok spoke, struggling. Despite that he had seemingly regained control...his powers and capabilities were still held back by Kari...

"Come on Regan! Do it!" Riza said. "I won't be able to hold out for long!!!" he said.

Regan remained silent, uncertain.

"_Many times before Regan...it was you who committed much for her...This time...now it is her..."_ the voice of Ragnarastrasz echoed in his mind.

"Kari..." Regan muttered, trying to hold off tears...

Then with a yell, he brought up his right hand, which flared up with crimson light...before he opened it wide, aimed at Kari.

An enormous blast of crimson light and electricity emerged from his arm, taking on the shape of a roaring dragon's head...

And just as it neared, Riza released his hold on Kari, pushing her forward as he threw himself on the ground.

And as he did, Kari stood up, arms held out...once again holding control against Ragnarok...

"Thank you...Regan..." she muttered the dragon head neared her...

The head's maw went down right on Kari, before all the red energy covered all of Kari's body, as raw discharges of power came out from her in all directions.

A terrifying scream came out of her. Something that wasn't human at all...

Then...the light ceased...and she fell on the ground, unmoving...Just as the fiery dome that was surrounding them ceased to be...

Riza panted as he saw the display of power cease.  
"You okay?" Regan asked. He was standing beside him, one hand held to him.  
"...yeah..." Riza muttered before starting for Regan's hand...but hesitated when he saw it was Regan's right hand...

With a bit of a sigh, Regan held out his left hand instead. Riza gladly took it as he rose up.

"...So...what did you do?" Riza asked hesitantly.  
"...What I had to do..." Regan darkly said. He then winced, not looking well. "But it took out a lot from me..." he said, a bit weaker.

"Y-y-you fo-foolish...foolish insssssects..." a voice rasped. The two boys looked toward Kari, to see her rising up...with flames in her eyes.  
"D-Do you...Do you think I will give up like that?!?" Ragnarok said.

Riza stepped back in fear. It looked like Regan hadn't completely wiped out Ragnarok...  
"I-I-I wi-will not...give i-it up yet!!!" Ragnarok said.

Regan looked darkly, before he smirked darkly. "Oh, is that so?"

His reaction stunned both Ragnarok and Riza.  
"Obviously, you still want me more than ever now..." Regan started, smiling almost evily.  
"But think about it, with all the powers I've displayed thanks to Ragnarastrasz's knowledge, it's obvious I have the power to create...but also the power to destroy..."

Regan then brought his right hand on his heart. "What if I used that power on me eh?"  
Riza gasped, as Ragnarok looked even more shocked.  
"You wouldn't dare!" he shouted.

"You think so?" Regan replied, now really smiling evily.

For a moment, Ragnarok had just remained there, shocked and angry...before Kari's body jerked once...and a massive amount of greenish flames suddenly erupted from Kari's mouth and eyes, going straight for Regan as it took some hideous shape, unleashing out an unearthly roar.

Regan smirked...and brought his right hand forward, just as the 'thing' neared him...and a massive discharge of red electricity and energy was unleashed from Regan, completely piercing through the flame 'thing', and overlapping it.

The creature screamed and squirmed in the air...before it exploded...

"W-What was that?!?" Riza asked. "What did you do?!?"

"I...I bluffed." Regan said with a weak smile.  
"You what?!?"  
"I didn't really do what Kari wanted. I just did some huge damage on him, which probably put her unconscious too.  
Despite all the powers I have, I doubt I would really be able to truly destroy Life willingly, except his own that is..." Regan explained.  
"So...you actually beat Ragnarok with a bluff?!? How would you know he'd go for you?!?" Riza asked.  
"Easy. He wants me more than anything else. I'm his key to ultimate power, in a sense. So if I killed myself, he'd lose it all." Regan said.

"Could you try to go find Krasus and Lizomon now?" Regan asked.  
"Uhh, why?" Riza asked, a bit uncertain.  
"Because I'm not feeling so well after having used so much of my strength..." Regan said weakly...before he collapsed on the ground, ceasing to move...

Riza remained uncertain for a moment, but he snapped out of it, looking all around, at all the unconscious people.  
"Uh, right! I'll go try to find them! I don't think you'll go around Regan, but stay here!" he said before he ran away.

A few moments after he was gone...some smoke started to appear, gathering up...

"I-I-I...I w-wo-won't a-all-alllow i-it!" the completely distorted voice of Ragnarok said from the small flames and smoke that slowly started to reappear.  
"I-I-I wi-will no-not let y-you w-w-win R-R-Re-Regan!!!"

With a roar, the weakened remains of Ragnarok hurled itself at the unconscious Regan...only to be blasted backward by a blast of light.

Squirming in pain from the light, it 'looked' toward the source of the attack...

Seeing, Riza, Lizomon...and Krasus.  
While the first two looked fine, the elder mage looked a bit more wounded, with several burn marks on his cloak, and one at his face.

"A clever trap it was Ragnarok...but not enough..." Krasus said, his hand held toward Ragnarok.

Ragnarok simply roared, uttering incomprehensible things.

"This is for all those that were harmed by your actions..." Krasus muttered before his gaze narrowed.

A display of lights, flames and sparks pierced Ragnarok from all directions, the energy consuming him as his form started to grow smaller, seemingly devoured by Krasus's spell before his flaming form completely vanished...

It was over.  
Ragnarok was gone.

"Regan!" Lizomon said, as he looked at his partner, worried.

"We can't waste anymore time. I will bring us all to my hideout to heal their wounds." Krasus said.

With that, he executed a teleportation spell, taking all the Tamers and Digidestined, along with their Digimon elsewhere, into his hideout, while at the same time, another spell slowly repaired the damaged caused by the battle in the park...

---

And in a deep place...  
Deep somewhere...in the darkest corners of Phoenix City's corners...  
Somewhere...

Red eyes opened, glowing...


	18. The Day the Sky rained Fire

_Evil lurks and exists in many forms. Ragnarok is only one incarnation of evil in the universe. A dangerous evil in his case. His defeat was necessary, despite the cost...  
There are many other evil beings, which is why the task of the Core Chosen is crucial..._

**Chapter 18 : The Day the Sky rained Fire...**

Kylee started to open her eyes...and felt a feeling of 'Déjà Vu'...

Although this time, as she tried to rise up, she felt waves of pain in her body.  
"Urrgh..."

"Don't try to overdo it Kylee. Your body's been in a rough state. You wouldn't want to make it worse, would ya?" a familiar voice said.

Kylee blinked before she saw Lizomon...sitting right in front of her, on the bed she was lying in.

"Li-Lizomon?" Kylee asked.  
"Yep, it's me. Expecting someone else?" Lizomon said, tilting his head slightly.  
"Hem, well, more along the lines of Impmon or Riza..." Kylee replied.  
"Riza's coming back...as for Impmon...he's sound asleep, right next to you." Lizomon said, smirking slightly as he looked to his right. Kylee looked at her left, to see Impmon having fallen asleep on her bed, while waiting.

Taking that into account, Kylee also noticed how the room seemed darker than usual...until she looked around herself to realize it wasn't a hospital room...

"H-Hold on a minute. Where are we?" Kylee asked.

The entire room was made of rock...or rather, it was a cavern dug in the rock. And around her were two other persons in bed, still unconscious.

Regan and Kari. And Gatomon was at Kari's bed, looking concerned after her partner.  
"We're in Krasus' hideout." Lizomon said.  
"His hideout?" Kylee repeated.  
"Or more like...the Black Spear's old hideout place..." Riza said, a bit darkly.  
"H-huh?!? The Black Spear's?!?" Kylee said as she noticed Riza being there.  
"Yeah..." Veemon said with a somewhat troubled expression. "Never thought he was using this place as his hideout."  
"Well it was the perfect place for him. After making sure he had routed out everyone who might have been here, he took control of these underground caves. They were perfect for him, so he could conduct his investigations." Lizomon said. "And yes, I know about this place that you guys don't really have good memories of this place...but Black Spear's gone now. Krasus saw to it."

"Yeah...I really hope it is over..." someone else said. Impmon, who had woken up, yawning.  
"You guys..." Kylee started, hesitating. She looked uncertainly at everyone else still awake, as they all looked at her...  
Some of the others also looked a bit uncomfortable.

Lizomon sighed. "Impy, Vee, Gatomon, let's go see Krasus." He said.  
"Hey, don't call me like that!" Impmon replied angrily.  
"Do what he says." Gatomon suddenly replied on a rather intimidating tone.  
"Yes ma'am..." Impmon grumbled angrily. Veemon only sighed somewhat as he followed up the other digimon...leaving Kylee and Riza alone, while Regan and Kari were still unconscious.

And for a good while, only an awkward silence reigned in the air...

"...It's my fault..." Kylee said, tears forming in her eyes.  
"N-no...don't say that..." Riza said.  
"If I hadn't been careless...Ragnarok wouldn't have been in me...and we wouldn't have been in this mess...Or that any of you would have been hurt..." Kylee said, slowly starting to cry.

"Kylee...no one could have guessed what happened...It isn't your fault..." Riza said.  
"But...But I could have stopped him...when he was inside me...and I couldn't...I wasn't strong enough..." Kylee said, sobbing.  
"W-Well...could we really be sure you'd be able to stop Ragnarok...when he was inside you?"  
Kylee remained silent for a moment, saddened. "...I...I don't know..."  
"Hey, it might have been normal if you couldn't stop him...We're humans after all..." Riza said a bit sheepishly.  
"Geez...I think you guys forgot that humans can be a lot stronger, you know." Another voice suddenly added. Kylee and Riza jumped, before looking back...to see Regan and Kari, sitting in their beds, looking at them.  
"H-How long were you awake?" Riza asked, a bit uncertain.  
"A little while..." Kari said somewhat of a light smile.  
"And we heard a bit." Regan said with a smile of his own.

Then his smile faded somewhat. "I understand you guys about that and how Ragnarok used you Kylee...No one could have guessed he would have done that. He barely seemed to be possessing anyone anymore..." he added.

"So...you mean Ragnarok did that before on other Digidestined?" Kylee asked uncertainly.  
"No, not really...but he did possess some innocent digimons during a time, for 'survival'. As far as we know though, Digimon don't seem to make good hosts for him, because their data gets too corrupted and damaged after a while..." Kari said.  
"Which gives out a pretty ugly end to those poor digimon...but it's not like we can change up anything now...

...At least now...it's over...Thanks guys..." Regan finished with a smile.

"Well...no problems...We're friends after all, right?" Kylee said.  
"Although, are you guys feeling okay?" Riza asked with some concern.

"Well...I could have been better...but I don't think I've been any worse than before..." Kari said, holding a hand to her stomach, with somewhat of a smile on her face.

"Everything's fine except that my head is still spinning..." Regan said, with somewhat of a sarcastic tone instead.

Every four of them all laughed lightly.

---

It was called the 'Underworld'. A refuge and lair for the criminals of many types among Phoenix City. Darkened alleyways, buildings and other sinister places, of many types of criminals, both human and digimon alike.

And now, a tall and dark figure walked among those living in that damp place. It seemed even darker than the shadows cast around in this place.  
The figure paused for a moment, glaring around, before it went into another direction, turning into an alleyway.

But as soon as it entered it, several figures, both in front of him and behind, appeared, blocking off its exits.

"Hey there big boy. Think you got any coin to spare up for some who would be in need of it?" one of the other figures said with a dark chuckle, showing out a gun out of the shadows.

The tall figure remained silent and motionless for a moment. The others took it as submission.

A fatal mistake.

Terrible cries and bloodcurdling screams erupted from the alleyway, along with terrible other sounds of fighting...or more of a massacre. Guns were fired, but it didn't seemed to stop what was happening...

Then silence came...

And the tall dark figure continued on...blood dripping down from something connected to its wrists...along with blood dripping from its teeth...

And from what was barely visible of that 'mouth'...it smiled...

---

"So it means...it's finally over..." Kylee said.  
"A lot of things sure happened, right?" Riza asked.  
"You can say that again..." Lizomon commented.  
"You know...it really ain't gonna be the same thing with you guys gone now..." Impmon said.  
"Yeah...things sure will be quiet...Well, as long as Kylee doesn't start a Digimon battle that is." Veemon added.  
"Hey! Digimon battles are fun, so what's wrong with that?"

The others laughed.

"It's true. It won't exactly be the same now." Regan said.  
"We've been through a lot with you...and it's obvious, we've all become good friends. We've grown out and learned out from each other..." Kari said.  
"It's true. We made up strong bonds between ourselves." Gatomon commented.  
"The strongest ones might be those between Regan and Kari..." Lizomon quickly added with a dark smirk.

"LIZOMON!!!" Regan yelled angrily, which caused mostly everyone else to laugh, although Kari did with some slight blushing.

"Well, maybe you guys should suit back up, and then we can go tell Krasus we're finally ready to leave." Lizomon went on, looking completely unfazed by his partner's yell.

It was with some uncertainties, and reluctances, that each of those who had been treated, went back in several small chambers to change back up in more normal clothes before they went back together,

Then, the four children, and their four digimon partners went back toward a larger cavern, the main one Krasus had been using...

However, as they neared, they heard voices...

"These are indeed some quite disturbing reports you are showing me...And indeed I believe this may not be something out of any normal circumstances on this world." The first voice said...which was Krasus'...

"Yeah, that's kinda why I went for you. Really seemed way too freaky and weird to have been any of the normal cases around the place..." the other voice said...

...and it was dreadfully familiar too...

Hearing it, all four children and four digimon rushed straight out of the corridor, exiting out straight into the large cave.  
Indeed, Krasus was there, sitting in his large stone throne, speaking to someone else. He started to look toward the Digidestined and Tamers as they arrived.

The other person also looked at them when they showed up too. He looked, on the other hand, a bit unsure as he faced the children...and there were no mistaking who he was.

"Darius Duke?!?!?" Riza and Kylee said.

Indeed, it was the black haired boy they knew well...the one that had apparently died, yet he stood alive before them, as they encountered him several times on other occasions.

"What are you doing here?" Regan asked, somewhat darkly. He certainly hadn't forgotten that he and his criminal gang had captured Kari a while ago. If Darius was somehow here, then it had to be suspicious.

"I see that you know each other well, as it was the case..." Krasus said, catching the Tamers, Digidestined and their digimon with some surprise.

"What?!? What do you mean by that?!?" Riza asked.

"Krasus. Tell us everything you know about Darius. I don't get it why he's here...talking with you." Regan spoke seriously.

Krasus let out a slight sigh. "I will try to make this short : Darius Duke was the leader of the Black Spear criminal gang, until he died by both the hands of Ragnarok and Regan. But in his death, She Who is Life was willing to give him a second chance, and thus returned him to life, for a certain price however.  
If he is now alive, he is no longer a member of Black Spear, but now he instead works for the Aspects, as one of their many servants spread throughout realities." Krasus said.

Both Regan and Kari's eyes widened a bit. They knew well of Alexstrasza's immense power over Life and Death, but while they could easily guess she could do such a thing, they didn't thought she'd actually do that.

Kylee and Riza on the other hand... "W-W-What?!?!? You mean that Alexstrasza resurrected you?!?" Kylee said, pointing straight at Darius.

He looked away, a bit down. "Yeah, I was kinda hoping you guys wouldn't have to hear about it. All I had to do was just to fake ignorance, as if I was someone completely different so that you guys would never really think I was the same guy all along, the one that had kidnapped the two of you girls.

So...yeah...I kinda have a new life...and turned over a new leaf too...  
So...sorry Kari for...'that' before...Guess you do look better with that new boyfriend of yours." Darius said with a small apologizing smile.

"Uhh, boyfriend?" Kari repeated, her cheeks heating up. Oh...she probably believed that Regan and she were...  
Regan wouldn't take that well.  
"Hey! I ain't her boyfriend!" Regan suddenly yelled back angrily.  
Yep, he wasn't taking it well...

"But then, what about that date you guys had? Kinda got surprised to know about Kylee and Riza dating each other too..." Darius said, a bit curious.  
Lizomon and Impmon only snickered at this. It was clear Darius didn't knew that the 'date' back then had been an attempt to 'cheer up' Regan and Kari. And that Kylee and Riza had gotten involved to 'help out'...

"Maybe we should focus on the more urgent matter at hand now, children." Krasus spoke as he fortunately stopped short any discussion on 'that' kind of subject, much to the ease of some of the children indeed...

"Why are you here anyway Darius?" Kari asked, a bit hesitantly.  
"Well...I came here because there was something I needed to tell the old man...Krasus? That's how you called him?" he said, looking at the wizard who made a nod at him.  
"Yeah so, I'm here because there's been some weird problem in the Underworld, and I thought that Krasus should hear of it." Darius went on.

"The Underworld?" Kylee asked. That wasn't something she knew of. Neither her nor Riza knew of anything that would be called that way.

"Some sort of place where criminal, both human and digimon are wandering around, here in this city." Krasus explained. "You see, Darius also acts as a bit of a double-agent, using his skills to infiltrate the Underworld and report back suspicious information."

"Good thought there Darius. More than enough to repay for what you did." Riza said.  
"Anyway, what is it about?" Regan asked.

"Well...it looks like there has been some sort of murder in the Underworld...but that can happen from time to time...

...although this time...well...you can guess it doesn't seem to be normal at all..." Darius explained.

"Normal?" Impmon asked. "What'd you mean by that?"

"It kinda looked like the digimon and humans that were killed were kinda...ripped apart.  
Some even looked half eaten...  
No one ever saw anything like that. I got some photos, but it ain't pretty to see." Darius said.

"Let me take a look." Lizomon interrupted as he went to Darius, taking one of the photos from his hand, and looked at it before making a bit of a face. "Yeeesh, I see what you mean. That ain't a sight for young eyes, that's for sure." Lizomon commented.

"You said...that the victims were eaten?" Kari asked uncertainly.

"Kinda, yeah. Whatever killed everyone at in the alley where it happened seemed to have eaten large parts of both human and digimon. And whatever data there remained of the digimon just got so damaged there's no way to repair it. Just format it back into some new digieggs." Darius explained.

"You're sure that whatever did that ate parts of the humans and digimon there?" Veemon asked, a bit troubled.

"I'd say that was the case." Lizomon interrupted, still looking at the pictures, expression grim. "Whatever killed those humans and digimon did it brutally and painfully. And there's no way a human could have done this."

"But...what kind of digimon would actually eat humans and digimon?" Riza asked, troubled.

"There is one..." Regan spoke darkly. "There's one digimon that actually enjoys eating human flesh and digimon data.  
The Chaotic Berserker."

"...hold on a minute...you don't mean..." Kylee stated.

"ChaosRyumon." Lizomon stated. "Ragnarok's 'partner'. He's the only digimon who could have done that."

The others went silent at hearing that name. Regan's face only darkened when Lizomon confirmed his thoughts.

"I don't get it. What's he doing then?" Kari asked. "Ragnarok has been destroyed, right?"  
"Which now leaves ChaosRyumon master-less. So he now does whatever he want?" Riza asked.

"Nah, that wouldn't be it." Lizomon said. "If ChaosRyumon really was without master now, I'm pretty sure that he would just go out on a rampage. But looks like he might have something else in mind...maybe some sort of command from Ragnarok."

"Hold on a minute. You mean Ragnarok would have left ChaosRyumon to do nothing, and if he were to die, then ChaosRyumon would have to act?" Gatomon asked.

"I don't know, but whatever is the case, ChaosRyumon is now roaming the Underworld, for some reason we know nothing about. And we better find him quickly.  
Because if he succeeds in whatever he's going to ultimately do, then I'm pretty sure a lot of people will be screwed..." Lizomon stated.

No one else could argue with that.

---

The large digimon kept going on in the Underworld, undeterred and easily clearing his way in front of him, as few sought to intrude in his way. It was perfect. Everything would be going smoothly; everything would go as it should...

He entered a nearby building, which clearly served as some sort of store for some various...'unallowed' things...

The gruff man at the shop's counter just snorted as he saw the large form approaching. "So, what'd ya want?" he asked.

The large digimon neared the counter, before he pointed straight at one of the various items the man sold. As the man took it from its place, the digimon continued to gesture at other various devices, obviously intending to get more than one item here...

When the man put on all the items on the counter, he asked again, in a gruff voice. "So, how you'll pay for those?"

...

A few minutes later, a bloodcurling scream erupted from the shop, followed by an explosion.

---

The somewhat darkened alleys and other ways around the place were putting Regan a bit on edge. And it was obvious Kylee was too.

Both she and him, along with their partners had come into this 'Underworld' with Darius, in order to track down infos on ChaosRyumon, or possibly find the mad digimon before it was too late. But they had to be cautious.  
Which explained why Kylee had no choices but to wear a cloak upon herself, the hood covering her face, while Regan was keeping the hood of his own cloak on. And both their partners were in Mega form, UltimaRyumon and Beelzemon walking aside their partners.

Krasus had disagreed that Riza and Kari would go on in the Underworld with them, due to the fact of their partners being Vaccines. They probably wouldn't be getting a good eye from the locals.  
That certainly wasn't a problem for the now darkly-dressed Darius, and his Cyberdramon. And considering Beelzemon was a powerful Virus digimon, no one would rather look at him with a wrong eye, but undoubtedly more of an awed and respectful one. Although UltimaRyumon was a Vaccine too, the thing remains that he's not a known digimon at all. Who would know he's a Vaccine anyway, besides his close friends? Other than that, he just kept a fierce and intimidating expression, his heavy sword slung over his shoulder, carrying it with one hand, further demonstrating his massive strength.

Now the group had come nearby the area where ChaosRyumon was suspected to have caused his first victims.

"That was him indeed." UltimaRyumon stated as he sniffed the air around, glaring even harder. "I can smell his stench here."  
"Darn it, so it really means that berserk freak is back?" Beelzemon asked.  
"We'll make sure to take him down as soon as we get him." Regan said darkly.  
Kylee said nothing, although a bit concerned, and frightful. She still remembered her first encounter with that digimon...

Darius on the other hand, was holding up a cellphone to his ear, talking with someone. "Mmm, got it. I'll be there soon." He replied on the phone.  
"Got something new?" Regan asked.  
"Yeah, a whole shop seemed to have been blown up. The owner was found sliced in pieces."  
Kylee gulped. "In pieces?" she repeated.  
"I think there's just that Chaos freak to do that." Beelzemon said.  
"Let's go instead of talking. We shouldn't waste time." UltimaRyumon stated.  
With that, they quickly went off, led by Darius.

---

"Understood. I'll inform the others. Give us new information as soon as you can." Krasus spoke, looking at a globe of blue light in the palm of his right hand before closing it. He had just been in contact with the other three in the Underworld, who had reported out a new place where ChaosRyumon had struck.

"What happened?" Kari asked.  
"ChaosRyumon apparently struck at a shop, exploding it along with killing the owner. We will get more details when they shall arrive there." Krasus answered.  
Riza made a face. "That guy never stops killing doesn't he?" he said.  
"Hardly would. Remember that he was created by Ragnarok only to kill. The desire of destruction is the only thing that seems to animate that beast." Krasus replied.  
"Let's just hope we can get to know what ChaosRyumon's planning..." Gatomon said.

---

"My god..." Kylee muttered as she saw the ruins of the destroyed shop.  
It was indeed a total wreck.  
"Hold on, I'll get us closer." Darius said as he went forward to speak with some of the...'authorities' of the place.  
Regan frowned a bit, pondering. How Darius seemed to have changed now. He never thought the guy would have been so much helpful. Well, maybe the fact that he died brought up quite some thoughts in his head...

A few minutes later, Darius came back. "Okay, looks like some big cloaked guy went in the shop, apparently asking for some stuff. After that, well we don't really know, but the owner got killed." Darius said.  
"Would you know what got stolen by ChaosRyumon?" UltimaRyumon asked.  
"I got a list right here." Darius said as he brought up a paper note.  
"Let's transmit that to Krasus. Maybe he'll be able to guess something out of this." Regan said.

---

"...and that's all there was that apparently was missing from the shop." Regan concluded, appearing out as a small image floating above Krasus' hand as he spoke in his digivice.  
"What do you think ChaosRyumon could do with that?" Riza asked.  
"It could be anything...but if ChaosRyumon is acting on some sort of order from Ragnarok, then it probably will be something very harmful." Kari said.  
"You think it could be a bomb?" Gatomon asked.

"Maybe..." Krasus suddenly spoke.  
"What?!? You think so?" Riza asked.  
"A bomb?!?" Kylee's voice said in the 'holographic' communication.  
"It would not be a type of bomb you are familiar with, but something far different." Krasus added.  
"What do you mean?" Regan added in the holographic communication.  
"Judging from the materials ChaosRyumon stole, he could create a unique type of bomb...One that doesn't damage the physical world...but rather space and time itself.  
In other words : A bomb capable of damaging the very barriers between the Human and the Digital World.  
I believe some would call such thing a 'space-time oscillation bomb'." Krasus explained.

"Space-time oscillation bomb..." Kari repeated worryingly.  
"However, from the looks of it, ChaosRyumon doesn't have all the necessary materials to complete the bomb yet, but no doubt he's already searching for the remaining components. " Krasus added.  
"To break the barrier between the two worlds...this might be the plan Chaos was given to execute..." UltimaRyumon commented. "If the barrier were to be broken..."  
"The two worlds would enter on a collision course, and destroy each other upon impact." Krasus direly finished.  
All the others, both on Regan's side and Krasus', went silent.  
"Then we gotta find that creep and quickly!" Beelzemon yelled out.  
"Of course." Krasus answered. "Darius, I am sending you another list of materials that ChaosRyumon should be after. If you know the location of such items, tell us where we can find them so that you can go and intercept ChaosRyumon at those locations before it's too late." He added, making a slight motion of the wrist.  
"Okay, I got it now, let me check..." Darius answered...

---

"So? You got anything?" Regan asked after a while.  
"Yeap, and it's not good." Darius answered. "If that Chaos guy is as rough as you'd say, then he won't have too much trouble getting all the remaining items he needs for his bomb."  
"But we need to stop him before he gets them all!" Kylee said.  
"Hold on...there might be one thing...That one." Darius said, pointing up to something on the list.  
"Some sort of crystal?" Regan asked.  
"Not exactly. A crystal made in the Digital World, and these are apparently made only in places with a huge amount of dimensional ambient energies. It's called a 'Nexus Crystal'." UltimaRyumon rectified.  
"That would be a power source he needs?" Beelzemon asked.  
"Dunno, but he obviously musn't get it." Regan said. "Where can you find it?"  
"Well...that is a really rare thing...and as far as I know...only the 'Big Boss' got one as part of his collection."  
"The...'Big Boss'?" Kylee asked.  
"Pretty much the ruler of this Underworld, kinda a mafia leader if you like." Darius answered.  
"So that would be he'd have a fairly strong defense. But it probably won't be tough enough to face someone like ChaosRyumon." UltimaRyumon said.  
"Where is that guy's place?" Regan asked.  
"...You really want to go after him?" Darius asked, a bit uncertainly.  
Regan only stared strongly.  
"We have to Darius." Kylee said. "Otherwise...we might lose everything..." Kylee said.  
"...Fine." Darius said.  
"Transmit that to Krasus too." UltimaRyumon said.

---

"Very well. I shall send Kari and Riza there to help you." Krasus stated as he received the coordinates and information required.  
"So we're going now?" Riza asked.  
"Indeed. Make sure to stop ChaosRyumon once you get there." Krasus stated.  
"Don't worry, we will." Gatomon said.  
"But hem...aren't you coming with us?" Veemon asked.  
"It's okay if he doesn't..." Kari suddenly said. Both Veemon and Riza looked uncertainly at her for a while, before hesitantly nodding.

"Let's go. The others will be waiting. And no doubt ChaosRyumon won't wait for us." Kari added.

---

It was a large mansion with a similarly large garden surrounding it. A rich man's house no doubt. But guarded by men and digimon on all entrances.

But they wouldn't be enough. They were only ordinary men and digimon of this world...  
It wouldn't stop him...They were nothing to him...  
Only insects...and food...

A sudden movement of shadow came from the skies, coming down upon one of the entrances, and directly upon an unsuspecting human guard.

The soldier barely had time to react when the large shadowed form completely engulfed him. The others could barely do a thing as they only heard a terrible bloodcurling scream, followed by several crackling sounds...before a large amount of blood spilled out on the ground, away from the shadow.

One of the human guards started shooting with a machinegun, but the shadowed form quickly crouched and moved away, before lunging forward, then suddenly disappeared.

The soldier looked around, panicked, seeking where the shadow had gone...  
...But had failed to miss the sudden increase of darkness right behind him.

The other guards nearby only saw their fellow guard being swallowed, no..._eaten_ by the shadowed form, before red glowing eyes looked at the remaining digimon and human soldiers with a sinister gaze.

One of the digimon, a Skullsatamon quickly charged forward with blinding speed, but was suddenly halted when his 'Nail Bone' attack was blocked with sudden ease.

"My turn..." a dark voice spoke from the shadows.  
Twin wicked wristblades came out of the shadows, stabbing the undead digimon right in its chest...before the blades went upward, ripping all the rest of the body that was in the way, including the head, into two pieces, which started to dissipated into data with the rest of the body.

"Who's next?" the shadow asked with a sinister pleasure. Then without warning, it lunged at a digimon. The digimon tried to run away, but it was quickly caught up by the shadow, which proceeded to grab and devour the unfortunate digimon.  
As the remaining soldiers heard the terrible tortured scream of the dying digimon, one of them suddenly snapped up, and took something out of its weapon belt. It looked like a small metal ball, but when it landed close to the shadow, it exploded into a powerful burst of light.

A roar was then heard as the soldiers shielded their eyes for a moment from the explosion of light...and when they could see again...they saw...

A large human black draconic figure as tall as a WarGreymon, with red eyes that hungered for destruction and more...  
It was covered in a large amount of armor all over its body, yet it still allowed him a clear and immense amount of mobility. Oddly enough, the armor looked damaged and scrapped everywhere, along with many traces of blood. A red blood-soaked and scrapped scarf covered its neck. Pair of wicked and sharp-looking blades were attached on the wrist parts of the digimon's armor.  
And still holding the dissipating remnants of its latest victim, with blood and data dripping from its teeth and maw, the black digimon simply sneered darkly.

ChaosRyumon...The Chaotic Berserker...

It quickly charged at the remaining soldiers, hands now glowing with dark power.

"Chaos Breaker Force!!!"

---

The sound of an explosion and smoke rising some distance away was darkly significant as Regan and Kylee quickly noticed the first signs of ChaosRyumon's work as they neared the 'Big Boss''s mansion.

"Hurry up!" Regan said as they ran. "We've got to-" he stopped his sentence short as they suddenly halted at the gates...

...as they saw the remains of a bloody massacre upon the grounds of the mansion's gates.  
Many humans, clearly dressed in some soldier-like attires, that had been torn apart as if mere toys, some of them with limbs that had either been lying further away, or simply completely missing at all.  
And slowly dissipating remains of severely damaged and data-corrupted digimon that were dying, torn in similar manners to the soldiers. It has been way worse than any sort of natural cataclysm could have ever done.

Regan could feel his stomach stirring at such a sight, feeling extremely troubled, but he steeled himself. He couldn't let himself panic now. And he had already seen a good share of truly disgusting and horrifying things.  
UltimaRyumon only frowned at this. Having been a soldier, mutilated corpses were nothing new to him. Only it made him saddened that now even more innocents had been taken by the twisted plots of Ragnarok.  
While Beelzemon on the other hand, clearly looked distraught of such a horror show, yet was still able to hold on, Kylee remained there, eyes wide, pupils shaking.  
"Enough watching. We need to move on." Regan said darkly, slightly turning his gaze away from the corpses.  
He heard a faint thud behind him before Beelzemon gasped. "Kylee!"  
Both UltimaRyumon and Regan turned to see Beelzemon moving to Kylee, who seemed to have fell down, and had ceased moving.  
"Kylee! Answer me!" Beelzemon said.  
"She's in shock." UltimaRyumon said, taking look of her eyes. "The sight of those corpses was too much for her to bear."  
"Gee...ya think?" Beelzemon said on a darker, more annoyed tone.  
"I think it's more than that..." Regan said, looking at Kylee within the arms of her partner. "I think that seeing what ChaosRyumon just did here...reminded her...of her first encounter with Ragnarok, and his partner." He added on a darker tone.  
Beelzemon remained silent, darkly remembering those terrible events. How Ragnarok had appeared before them, confident and taunting them, before he let loose his partner on Kylee, who took sinister pleasure in slowly torturing her to death.  
And if Impmon hadn't managed to digivolve that day...

"Go on." Beelzemon said.  
"What?" Regan asked.  
"I said 'Go on.' kiddo. Didn't heard me? I'm gonna stay to watch over Kylee. She can't be doing much like that. Besides, someone has to slow down that Chaos freak while the reinforcements will be coming." Beelzemon said.  
"...Fine. Make sure to protect her Beelzemon." Regan said.  
"Heh, you can count on that, Regan." Beelzemon said with a determined smirk.  
"Ultima?" Regan said before he turned toward the mansion and ran. His partner quickly followed smoothly, rising up again and turning to quickly catch up to him, his sword in hand.  
"I was afraid of this..." UltimaRyumon said.  
"That she would...?" Regan asked.  
"Yeah. Can't say she had a good start with Ragnarok to begin with..." UltimaRyumon simply said.

---

"Kylee! Kylee! Snap up, come on!" Beelzemon yelled as he briefly shook Kylee around.  
"H-Huh...Huh, wha-what?" Kylee shook her head a bit, looking around confusedly, and troubled. "Beelzemon?"  
"Come on Kylee, we gotta hurry up! Regan and Ultima went without us because you dropped on us!"  
"I dropped?" Kylee asked.  
"Yeah, you just stood there, not moving, then you just fell on the ground like a doll! And Regan said you acted like that because those corpses were reminding you of...the first time we met that Ragnarok freak..." Beelzemon then said, slowly a bit at the end.  
"O...Oh...S-Sorry..." Kylee muttered, lowering her head sadly.  
"Hey Kylee..." Beelzemon slowly started. "...you know...If you want, we could go back, and just wait around to intercept ChaosRyumon if he escapes..."  
For a moment, Kylee remained silent...then she spoke. "You'd mean...that we would just stand on the sidelines, and do nothing again? Run away like a coward?"

"We can't do that Beelzemon! This time, we have to help, no matter what! Lots of lives might be at stake, for all we know, Ragnarok will want that ChaosRyumon would plan to kill all of us! We can't let him do that! We'll have to go, and face him."

Beelzemon smiled. "Now that's the Kylee I know of. Always want in to charge and help out others. So then, you're ready Kylee? Because even for the champions, that's gonna be a tough one."

"That's not gonna stop us from trying, right Beelzemon?" Kylee asked. "Let's go!"  
And with that, the two charged toward the assaulted mansion.

---

"Okay, now where we going now?" Regan asked. Having entered the besieged mansion could be an easy thing...but what about directions once inside?  
Having arrived in what looked like a library, Regan looked around, with UltimaRyumon right behind him.

"Perhaps you could use your digivice to-MOVE!" UltimaRyumon suddenly said, pushing Regan in a corner of the room, just as he leapt on the opposite side.  
Moments before that, gunfire rang into the room.

"The mansions' guardians no doubt!" UltimaRyumon yelled through the gunfire.  
"But they should be after Chaos! Not us!" Regan tried to yell back, before he ducked as a hole in the wall was made by a bullet above him.

Snorting, UltimaRyumon yelled. "Attention all of you! We're not here to attack you or your boss! We're only here to help against the digimon that's attacking this place! Stop firing or we'll be forced to neutralize you!"

A small part of the wall near UltimaRyumon's face went exploding in debris from a bullet passing in it, just as the digimon noticed yet another series of bullets burying in the wall that Regan was using for cover.

"Well, guess that's it then." UltimaRyumon muttered. And he suddenly leapt back in the path of the shooters before he made a powerful swing of his sword, sending out a powerful blast of air from the swing, right at the shooters, knocking them off their feet.  
Regan then heard the sound of quick, yet strong hits being delivered, before silence came...

"Ultima?" Regan asked.  
"All clear." UltimaRyumon calmly answered.  
Regan came out of his hiding spot to see all the shooters lying on the ground. Seeing the concern in his partner's face, UltimaRyumon quickly spoke. "Don't worry, I just knocked them all out. I wouldn't be killing them."

"...Let's just go." Regan said. Even though they hadn't killed them, these soldiers were still innocents in this...Innocents that UltimaRyumon had harmed...Although it was to protect Regan's life...

---

While Regan and Lizomon had already started getting into some problems of their own, Kylee and Beelzemon hadn't encountered opposition in their way so far...until...a stench arose in the air...

"Ew, what's that smell?" Kylee asked.

The answer came only a few moments later, in the following corridor.

The entire way was stained and sprayed with blood and other bodily fluids all over the walls, the floor and the ceiling. Some parts of humans and digimon were also present, either lying unmoving on the floor...or stuck in the walls or ceiling...Not to mention the many tears and cuts present in the walls and everything else in the way...

Kylee's eyes just widened, as she held her hands to her face, in sheer horror. Never before she had expected ChaosRyumon to be capable of such violence. Even when they had first fought him seemed so little in comparison to now...

"Kylee...Are you gonna be okay?" Beelzemon asked.  
"...Y-Yeah...I'll be fine...We got to move on. He's close..." she answered, hesitantly.

And slowly, they went on in the bloodied hallway...

---

The door in pieces, blood sprayed on their remains, as he entered the room of the so-called 'Boss'.

Blood mixed with data dripping from his wristblades and teeth, ChaosRyumon slowly entered the room, glaring hard at the cowered somewhat fat man that was hiding in a corner of the room.

"The Nexus Crystal. Where is it?" ChaosRyumon asked with a growl. "TELL ME!"

The man remained silent, scared and hesitating.

ChaosRyumon quickly rushed toward the man, before he slashed straight at one of the man's sides. A yell of pain then came from the man.

"I want the Nexus Crystal, NOW! Tell me and I will spare your pitiful existence!" ChaosRyumon replied, looking very angered.

Shaking, and holding a hand to his wound, the man then pointed toward a painting on a wall. "Be-Behind it..."

Sneering, ChaosRyumon turned and started walking toward the said painting, his smile growing more and more as he closed the distance between he and the painting.

"Hold it right there, Chaos freak!"

ChaosRyumon stopped, and looked toward the source of the voice. He sneered as he recognized them : Beelzemon, who had spoken...and his tamer, Kylee Henke.

"Kylee Henke...It has been...some time..." ChaosRyumon said, showing a toothy smile. "Recovered well from our...very first encounter?" he added with a greater grin.

Kylee shivered, and stepped back slightly at those words and the grin. But Beelzemon only glared, and make sure to move himself a bit more in-between him and Kylee.

"Beelzemon, still so blindly following your little girl?" ChaosRyumon asked, now sneering at the biker digimon.

"So what about it? You're jealous?" Beelzemon replied instead, in a more taunting way.

ChaosRyumon smirked. "Foolish of you to dare stand in my way."  
"We know what you're trying to do Chaos..." Kylee said, surprising herself at being able to speak that way when she did so. "We know you want to make a space-time oscillation bomb."

ChaosRyumon let out a very slow laugh. "Yesss...The Master's Will shall be done."

"Your master is dead, freak beast!" Beelzemon yelled. "Why the hell should you try to cause so much chaos anyway then?"

"Heh heh heh...You are foolish, all of you...  
The Master never die. He is eternal, inevitable. You believe you destroyed him, but even then, he will always return.  
In fact...He had expected you to succeed. He knew he would suffer this minor 'defeat', in order for his proper plan to be executed.

Righteous Retribution shall be enforced upon this pitiful reality. You will all pay for having dared to stand against the Master." ChaosRyumon said, eyes now holding a more fanatical glow.

At first, Kylee had really imagined that ChaosRyumon was but a mindless beast that blindly obeyed Ragnarok...But hearing him speak like that only made her realize that the truth was far worse.

ChaosRyumon seemed to be very smart and cunning. Which might be little surprising considering that he is based on Lizomon's own data.  
The only obvious difference about ChaosRyumon's acting is that he obviously held a fanatical loyalty to Ragnarok, probably instilled by Ragnarok himself...along with that desire and hunger for human flesh as much as digimon data...  
More ways to make ChaosRyumon literally be the perfect killing machine...

"We just beat Ragnarok! And even if he somehow survived, Krasus just destroyed him with his magic! No way Ragnarok could have survived that!" Kylee said, reminding herself very well _how_ Ragnarok had originally survived their encounter.

"Yesss...The old wyrm has great power. But even then it has not destroyed the Master.

My Master is Death. Death Incarnate to his enemies and those who foolishly stands against him. I even recently faced a foolish boy that seemed to consider himself as 'death', or some avatar of it.

My Master has showed him his foolish errors, showing how that pitiful boy was nothing but an instrument for my Master. And I gladly enforced His will upon that foolish boy." ChaosRyumon said, grinning wildly.

Kylee looked unsure. She certainly didn't knew exactly what ChaosRyumon was talking of, but the first thing he meant seemed that he claimed that Ragnarok had survived even Krasus' spells, and was still alive.  
But, that thing about that 'boy'? She certainly didn't knew what he was talking of. But from the looks of it, it seemed that ChaosRyumon had killed the boy under orders of Ragnarok.

"You...killed that boy?" Kylee asked, a bit afraid.

ChaosRyumon slowly chuckled. "He escaped." The dark digimon said, smiling despite saying such unusual news. "And when he escaped, the Master sent Parallelmon after him.  
And ironically, that boy actually led Parallelmon to the True Digital World, where my Master's enemies were. But after that, Parallelmon was easily able to find and absorb that pitiful boy and his 'non-existent' partner.

Although, no doubt he was released when you managed to destroy Parallelmon.

But even then, he never escaped the Master despite all of this. The Master has now Marked him as His. Soon...that boy shall become one with us. He shall soon become willing to agree and bow to my Master's will." ChaosRyumon said, now grinning wide once more.

Once again, Kylee didn't understand all of ChaosRyumon's words, but she still understood a good part of their meanings...

Whoever was that boy had actually unwillingly led Parallelmon to Regan and Kari! If whatever that 'True Digital World' ChaosRyumon had just spoke of was indeed the Digital World as it should be, then it made little doubt on how exactly Parallelmon went after Regan and Kari!

She was worried and relieved about how this boy probably was freed from Parallelmon when the digimon was destroyed...but those other words from ChaosRyumon troubled Kylee.  
What exactly did he meant by having 'marked' the boy? Hold on a minute...

"Ragnarok...He had marked Parallelmon too...didn't he?" Kylee uncertainly asked.

"Yes!!!" ChaosRyumon replied, grinning wider. "He was the first that was drawn to the Master, and the first to become Marked by Him! With Parallelmon, my Master acquired many opportunities, many ways. My Master has laid out his plans well before he sent Parallelmon after that foolish boy called Creed Wiseman. The boy was Parallelmon's first target, but his priority targets were my Master's two main enemies. The foolish 'Wiseman' led Parallelmon to them when he accidently arrived into their world!  
No one can escape the Master! No one!"

It confirmed indeed her fears...When ChaosRyumon meant that Ragnarok had 'marked' that boy, apparently named Creed, he had laid out his means...to corrupt that boy.

Just like he had corrupted Parallelmon. If a digimon as powerful as Parallelmon fell to Ragnarok's corruption, then the chances that a human fall to it would probably be dreadfully high!  
Kylee shivered at those thoughts.

"Enough talk now! I shall fulfill my Master's will now! And your pitiful reality shall meet its end!" ChaosRyumon then said.

And with that, he rushed toward the portrait.

"Oh no you won't!" Beelzemon yelled as he went for ChaosRyumon.

However, as Beelzemon neared him, ChaosRyumon slashed with one of his wristblades in the biker's direction, sending out a dark energy wave, but actually missed him...

...Until Beelzemon realized who Chaos was aiming for : Kylee.

"Kylee!" Beelzemon yelled as he saw her froze, seeing the energy wave nearing her.

There was a quick blur as Regan leapt out from the doorway, grabbing unto Kylee as he held out his right hand opened toward the energy wave, instantly summoning his crimson shield, which received the attack with a strong sound, and a loud grunt from Regan.

"You're okay Kylee?" Regan asked.  
Kylee took her breath, barely realizing all of what had just happened in only a few moments. "Y-Yeah...Thanks..." she replied.

"And keep your attention too kiddo!" Beelzemon reacted at the sound of UltimaRyumon's voice, before he looked toward ChaosRyumon, only to see Ultima's massive sword blocking Chaos' blades. Obviously, ChaosRyumon had attempted to make a move on Beelzemon while he would be distracted at Kylee, hoping to kill two birds with one stone.

"Enough games now Chaos. It's over." UltimaRyumon simply said, glaring at his dark counterpart.

"Hah!" ChaosRyumon quickly pulled back before he swung at the ground below him, causing it to explode, before he made a run straight for the portrait, taking advantage of the distracting blast.

With one swift move, he slashed at the portrait, ripping it apart, and revealing behind it a large glowing white, purple and blue crystal, large enough to be held in two human-sized hands, but small enough to easily fit in one hand of the larger ChaosRyumon.

With a crazed grin, the dark digimon quickly wrapped its hand on the crystal, before pulling it, just as UltimaRyumon's sword went flying right at him, thrown by its owner.

"You're too late to stop me now! Retribution is at hand!" ChaosRyumon yelled, before he went straight for the nearest wall.

"You ain't gonna go that easily! Darkness Claw!" Beelzemon yelled, charging and ramming straight into the dark digimon before he slashed at him. ChaosRyumon however, raised his free hand to hold back Beelzemon's claws, before he rammed a knee in the biker digimon's stomach.

ChaosRyumon only grinned madly before rushing for the nearest windowed wall, and broke through it as if nothing was in his way. However, just as he stepped outside the building, his escape went short.

"Positron Laser!"  
"Fire Tornado!"

The two attacks struck the ground, awfully close to where ChaosRyumon would have started to run to, causing him to halt, and glare toward his newest assailants.

Magnadramon and Imperialdramon Fighter Mode. And standing on their respective digimon partners were Kari and Riza.

"We won't let you escape, Chaos!" Kari shouted.  
"Hehehe, just TRY, little girl!" ChaosRyumon taunted, before he held the Nexus Crystal foward for all of them to see...before he opened his maw and swallowed it up.

"Wh-What? He ate it?!?" Kylee said, having came out through the hole along with Regan and their partners.

ChaosRyumon slowly chuckled. "Heheheheh...You hadn't wondered where I was keeping the bomb's materials, hadn't you?

They are all in me. And thus...

I am the Space-Time Oscillation Bomb."

"You're crazy?!?" Beelzemon yelled. "Hold on that. You always were crazy. But anyway, you really gonna blow yourself up?!?"

"I will do what my Master commands, and even if I perish in his name, I too am like Him. I too will return, as He shall raise me to existence once more." ChaosRyumon said, grinning darkly. "So what now 'heroes'? Will you attempt to destroy me? Who knows if it will cause the bomb to be triggered..."

They all stood uncertainly. They were all surrounding him, yet ChaosRyumon seemed to hold a terrible advantage over them.

UltimaRyumon briefly looked toward his partner. "_Regan. We have to fight him."_ he mentally spoke, sending his thoughts at Regan.  
Regan was in shock at this. "_What?!? But what if he explodes?!?"_  
"_Maybe that's what Ragnarok wants us to think. That if we fight ChaosRyumon, he might explode. And so if we hesitate, he'll be able to run away to find the perfect spot where he should blow up the bomb."_ UltimaRyumon mentally replied. "_We have to incapacitate him. If we do knock him out, I'm sure Krasus will be able to extract the bomb."_

Regan remained silent, uncertain. Then, he slightly nodded.

The hesitation was then broken.

UltimaRyumon rushed straight toward his dark counterpart. ChaosRyumon barely turned his head before he leapt sideways to evade a large sword swing.

"Bold move..." he commented before he leapt and ran away. The others looked in shock at UltimaRyumon's actions.

"We have to go after him!" Regan said.  
"But what about that bomb?" Riza asked.  
"If we let him run away, he'll just go find the perfect place to blow it up, making things WAY worse! We have to stop him, and neutralize him. I'm sure Krasus could remove that bomb afterward!" UltimaRyumon said.  
"You can't be serious..." Kylee muttered, very worried.  
"...I think Ultima is right...We'll have to take that risk..." Kari said, lowering her head.  
"Alright then. Let's go. We got a running bomb to catch up." Beelzemon said. With that, he fired two gunshots in the air, bringing down the Behemoth motorcycle from the skies.  
"Let's hit it now!" he yelled. UltimaRyumon gave out a nod before looking at Regan.  
"Let's go everyone." Regan said.

With that, the others nodded before Magnadramon and Imperialdramon took off to the skies, toward where ChaosRyumon had fled. UltimaRyumon crouched himself, letting Regan climb on his back before he took up to the air as well, remaining at a lower altitude than his other flying counterparts.

"Let's go Kylee!" Beelzemon said.  
And uncertainly, Kylee walked up to the motorcycle before climbing behind Beelzemon and grabbed unto him.  
"And to say I swore to myself I'd never go back on that..." she muttered right before Beelzemon crushed the gas pedal, sending his bike into a mad rush after their target...

The streets were bustling with activities...only to be replaced with sudden chaos as ChaosRyumon rushed right into the streets, with the other digimon hot on his trail.

People scattered as the dark digimon stomped the ground, charging into the cars, before he literally bowled them over, knocking them out of his way.

Coming soon behind were Magnadramon and Kari first, soon followed by UltimaRyumon and Regan, before ImperialDramon and Riza came forth, with Beelzemon and Kylee in the end, the former pair unto the Behemoth bike while the others flew in the air.

"Get him Beelzemon!" Kylee yelled, holding her partner tightly at the same time, hoping not to fall.

"That ain't easy with so many people and cars all around! You think it'd be easy to drive AND shoot at once?" Beelzemon replied as he swerved, evading a few of the crashed cars.

ChaosRyumon only slightly looked behind him, seeing the group of Digidestined and Tamers that were after him, before snorting.

He suddenly leapt in the air, his free arm held high, before he fell down upon the nearest car that was in the way. His fist ripped through the car's cap and through the engine, just as its driver ran out of the car.

With a dark grin, and his fist still through the car, he raised and hurled the car right into the air, at the nearest of his pursuers : Magnadramon.

Magnadramon was a bit caught off-guard by the hurled weapon, however, she quickly flew upward to evade the thrown obstacle...until she received a second car in the stomach...quickly followed by a "Chaos Breaker Force!" from ChaosRyumon, aimed straight at the car.

The dark energy ball struck the car, causing it to explode, and whatever energy that hadn't been taken by the car struck Magnadramon.

The impact sent Magnadramon hurtling backward, heavily destabilized. However, for Kari, hanging upon her partner's back, things went worse : As the car struck and exploded, sending Magnadramon in disarray, Kari clutched the digimon's fur tightly...

...but to no avail...as her grip failed...and she found herself hurled in the air, before gravity started to take its toll on her...and she started falling.

"Kari!!!" yelled all three children at once as they saw their friend fall from the skies.

And just as she fell, another reacted. ChaosRyumon leapt in the air, hurtling himself straight toward the falling Kari, murderous intent in his eyes...

"Darn it!!! Ultima! We got to do something!!!" Regan yelled to his partner.  
Silent, UltimaRyumon only pushed harder, seeking to close the distance between him and Kari more quickly...However, ChaosRyumon was still the closest to his target.

Out of the corner of the eye, Regan could easily see Magnadramon starting to recover, and clearly intending to reach out to her partner, but she would be far too late to reach her before ChaosRyumon.

"Ultima! There's gotta be something we can do!" Regan yelled again.  
"I think there might be one thing...but you're gonna have to react quickly on your own!" UltimaRyumon replied...before he suddenly grabbed Regan on his back with his free arm...then threw Regan straight at Kari.

Regan panicked for a moment, before he quickly registered what UltimaRyumon had in mind...

And in a burst of data surrounding him, Regan propelled himself faster, in his own Mega Bio-Modify form. "Kari!!!" he yelled, trying to get her attention. "Bio-Modify!"

Kari glanced at him, as best as she could while falling, then briefly made a panicked nod, realizing it might possibly save her life.

"No little 'evolution' trick will save you from me now!!!" ChaosRyumon roared as he neared closer and closer to Kari.

As the dark digimon inched close now to Kari, she suddenly started to burst in a sudden flare of light, which caught the dark dragon by surprise, but only for a moment, as he urged closer to quickly finish it.

However, as he brought down his claws upon the shining Kari, she suddenly moved with unexpected swiftness, still glowing...before a large burst of flames was unleashed from her, striking down ChaosRyumon.

"Kari!" Regan shouted as he got closer to her. She slowly ceased to glow, until her appearance was finally visible.

Not one pair of wing, but rather 4, glowing pink ones. Her entire body was covered in pink fur, and a very long tail hung from behind her, along with long horns coming on the sides of her head. And yet she still kept her trademark hairs.

"Kari...you...changed..." Regan muttered, looking in amazement at Kari's new form. It then became obvious to Regan what had just happened : She had Bio-Modified to Mega form. The form of Magnadramon.

"I...I...I don't know how..." she started, looking with astonishment at herself, and Regan could also easily distinguish claws on her hands.

"As much as I could potentially understand as why you would like to gaze at her lithe, 'clothes-less' form..." UltimaRyumon started, giving a slow, nasty grin at the end of his sentence...which made Regan realize, that indeed, Kari didn't had any sort of clothes now...except if you counted the fur that now covered every inch of her body, although it did little to hide her form. And no doubt Kari realized this, although if she was blushing, the fur was making it impossible to see.

"We got more to focus on, UltimaRyumon!!!" Regan angrily(and blushingly) yelled toward UltimaRyumon. This time, the digimon's face returned serious. "Yes, Chaos is escaping again."

They looked, indeed to see that the dark dragon was indeed flying away, this sudden evolution from Kari having also given him an additional escaping chance.

"We have to hurry!" Kari said. With a nod, they quickly went on the chase, still followed by Kylee and Riza, who they too, had seen the unexpected transformation.

"_Regan, I think I may have some good news."_ The voice of Krasus suddenly echoed in Regan's mind.  
"_Huh? What news?"_ Regan thought back. He really wondered what could Krasus had found out.  
"_I believe I have found the place where ChaosRyumon seeks to detonate the bomb. Pheonix City's Central Park."_ Krasus replied.  
"_Where is that?"_ Regan asked.  
"_The place where you fought Ragnarok the first time you were on the world."_ was the answer.  
Now it struck Regan. How he remembered well of this place, and the time it had happened...with the enormous portal Ragnarok had made...  
"_The barriers at this location are far weaker due to Ragnarok's work there once. The bomb will have more effect there."_ Krasus added.

"Guys!" Regan yelled out to the others. "We got to go where we first fought Ragnarok! Krasus says it's there that ChaosRyumon will blow up his bomb!"  
"Makes sense..." UltimaRyumon stated. "The barrier would be weaker at this place, considering Ragnarok had created a gigantic portal to the Digital World there..."  
"Then let's hurry there!" Beelzemon yelled.  
"We should keep an eye on ChaosRyumon as well too! We can't take any risk!" Kari added.  
"Then we've got no other choice but to keep on the hunt..." Regan muttered.  
And with that, they went on, wings flapping and tires squealing, the minds of these children and digimon all geared toward a common goal : Stop ChaosRyumon and save this world...

It was quickly decided. Regan and UltimaRyumon immediately went for the central park while the others would keep on the hunt.

"UltimaRyumon, I'm not sure to understand. How can this Nexus Crystal be so powerful and dangerous?" Regan asked as they waited.  
"The Nexus Crystals are very powerful elements Regan. They literally are self-sustaining generators. Even a hand-sized shard is way more potent than some of the strongest man-made reactors. Heck, that large crystalline array that is at the base of the Draclios Fortress is made of Nexus Crystals, used as the prime energy source of the base."

The Draclios Fortress. The name of the ancient floating fortress that served as the Ancient Guardians' base of operations back in the time when the Digital World was invaded by a terrible evil.

No doubt it surely had been been a great symbol of hope, freedom and life for the Digimon back then...but today now...Things aren't as they were...

The Guardians vanished altogether countless years ago, sometime after the war was over. And with them, so did the Fortress vanish. But while no Guardian has ever returned save for Lizomon, the Draclios Fortress however, reappeared. Or rather, it was summoned back into existence...by Krasus.

The Fortress had remained hidden in a dimensional pocket for centuries. Until the wizard brought it back into existence.

Once no doubt the Fortress had been a symbol of glory, life and freedom...but for the Chosen, at first...it had been one of pain and horror.

As they were forced to confront against a terrible threat at that time...  
It was then that Regan discovered the terrible truth...about what he really was...

Even though, the crisis that erupted at the Fortress was over, the Core Chosen still held some uncertainties toward the ancient domain sometimes...

And that was indeed something Regan wasn't forgetting...

"_Regan! He's getting close to the park now!"_ the voice of Kari suddenly yelled out from his digivice.

"We're on it." Regan said, snapping out of his dark thoughts, as he peered to see the incoming digimon.  
"There." UltimaRyumon, pointing to their right. Regan looked, and he saw indeed ChaosRyumon that was nearing.  
"Let's go." Regan said, and his partner nodded.  
And both leapt in the skies.

As they came down, ChaosRyumon rocketed out of the buildings, nearing the grounds of the park, avoiding his pursuers...until two swords fell unto him, sending him spiralling on the ground, sliding off several feet before coming to a stop.

"It's over Chaos." UltimaRyumon stated, his sword mere inches from his dark counterpart's face, as everyone else neared them, surrounding their target.  
It was unsure how ChaosRyumon was reacting to his failure, although his eyes seemed to grow wider.  
"Never, NEVER!" he yelled, before jolting up in an unexpected boost of strength.

UltimaRyumon didn't hesitated. He swung his sword.

And just as ChaosRyumon started to leap in the air, the large sword went cutting through his armor and flesh, leaving out a terrible cut and the armor broken.  
Yet, despite that sudden wound, ChaosRyumon completely ignored it, flying through the air, straight up.

"No!" Regan yelled, as he took off to the skies, followed by UltimaRyumon.  
Regan strained, pushing harder on his wings, seeking to catch ChaosRyumon before it was too late. It just seemed it would take forever to reach him...

When suddenly, the dark digimon yelled.

"RETRIBUTION HAS COME!!!"

"Down!!!" UltimaRyumon suddenly shouted, and grabbed Regan's leg before throwing him downward, with obvious intent to protect him.

As Regan tumbled downward, the next thing he knew was light.

A giant flare of light blinded his eyes, followed by an unknown sound, although it almost seemed like the rush of wind and dozens of screaming voices.

His thoughts were cleared as he struck the ground.  
"Regan! Are you okay?!?" spoke the panicked voice of Kari.  
"Yeah...what happened?" he asked, rising up.

"We failed..." was all that UltimaRyumon said. "The bomb has detonated."

And looking upward, Regan's heart sank.

A gigantic hole in reality had been torn apart.  
But something wasn't right...

"This isn't the Digital World..." Regan said.  
Kylee and Riza frowned worryingly at him.  
"He's right." Kari said. "The Digital World shouldn't look like that."

"Then...what is it?"Kylee asked.

And they all looked upward. The sky was now covered in dark clouds...and in the middle, right above them stood a gigantic hole...But as Regan and Kari said, it wasn't the Digital World on the other side...

It was greenish. And clearly unearthly. Something terribly alien and unknown.

"This isn't right..." UltimaRyumon muttered. "That bomb didn't even broke the barriers between the two worlds...

...It opened a rip to somewhere else..."

"But...where?" Beelzemon asked, nervously.  
UltimaRyumon himself was unsure what to answer...  
...as it seemed dreadfully familiar...

Until a sound came...and the dragon knight's eyes widened.

"RUN!" he yelled. And pushed on everyone else away.

No one else was able to understand. The rush and yell was too sudden, as they did the one thing they were ordered to : run.

Then the ground shook, sending most of the kids and digimon to the ground.

Regan and the others looked back, having fled the outskirts of the park now...but he looked upward, and was only more worried, just like everyone else.

He saw greenish meteors falling out of the giant gateway, striking the city's grounds at various places with powerful force.

"No..." UltimaRyumon muttered.

And for the first time...  
Regan actually registered..._fear_...in his partner's voice...

"It's just...just like that day..." UltimaRyumon continued, eyes fixed in the skies.  
No one else spoke, all seeking the upcoming answer...however dreadful it might be...

"...The Day the Sky rained Fire..." UltimaRyumon spoke. "...and the enemy came among us..."

Regan's eyes widened. Now he believed he knew what his partner was speaking of.  
Perhaps indeed the worst thing ever to happen...

---

Back in his sanctum, Krasus had been watching, somewhat helplessly, and unaware as ChaosRyumon acted in a different manner than he had thought.

And now seeing the meteors falling from the skies...  
...he gritted his teeth...a hand clenching...

---

"What...what is it? What enemy?" Kylee asked uncertainly.

UltimaRyumon turned dark. "The Legion." He spoke.

"_**The Burning Legion...**_

It has come to this reality...to eradicate it..."

And as he finished speaking, terrible unearthly, monstrous screams started being heard all around the city...

...as the demonic invasion began anew...from its last attempt...thousands of years ago...  
And this time...there might be no stopping them...


	19. Forgotten dreams

_The Burning Legion..._

_The greatest Scourge of all..._

_A scourge to all life, to all Creation...  
A terrible army of pure evil. One of the greatest of all evils that exist in the entire universe.  
An evil that threatened many worlds, and destroyed countless more...  
And now, it had come to this world...dragged by Ragnarok's vengeance..._

_That was his retribution all along. The true Terror of Chaos..._

_But can it be stopped?_

**Chapter 19/Final Chapter : Forgotten dreams**

The original meteor falls forced out the children and digimon to run much farther away than they originally were...but still there was no doubt on the situation now...

Regan couldn't believe his ears and eyes. Of all the terrors, of all evils he had faced, of everything he had gone through...  
Of everything his nemesis had unleashed...

He would have never, ever believed Ragnarok's real plan of retribution was the _Burning Legion_...

An extra-dimensional army of demons that had only one goal in mind : extermination of everything in their path. Power was what they sought. Power was what drew them to worlds, and what they consumed...

Perhaps the greatest of all evils ever to exist...and it had now come to this world...

"W...What is that...What is that...'Burning Legion'?" Kylee asked uncertainly, gazing in horrors at the falling meteors, shivering at the sound of the monstrous roars.

"An evil...That is much more terrifying, much more dangerous...than Ragnarok might ever be..." UltimaRyumon darkly spoke.

"More dangerous than Ragnarok?" Riza spoke, shocked and afraid as well.

UltimaRyumon's eyes seemed to be losing focus...as if he was looking at something very, very far away...

"It isn't simply an evil...It is in fact...An army.

An extra-dimensional army that has only one goal : To set all worlds, all universes...to flame..." the digimon spoke.

"So that means..." Impmon started uncertainly.

"That the Legion seeks to destroy, to kill everything in its way..." Kari finished. But she too looked dreadfully worried, deeply scared.

The Legion...That was so much more than anything they had ever gone through...

Devimon...Myotismon...Apocalymon...The Digimon Kaiser...Arukenimon and Mummymon...MaloMyotismon...Ragnarok...

None of them could compare to the entire Legion...Not even if these evils were all together.

"W-W-What are we gonna do now?!?" Veemon asked, sounding much panicked.

"...I don't know..." Regan responded, very unsure. The two Tamers only looked more scared. Never before they had seen _both_ Regan and Kari so lost and afraid. Not even when they were in the Dark Ocean.  
And not only them...but even _UltimaRyumon_ seemed to be potentially afraid of them...

If even the Children of Life and Light feared those evils...What hope did their world have?

New monstrous screams arose...followed by human and digimon ones...

"They've begun their invasion!" UltimaRyumon shouted.

The meteor rain seemed to have intensified, yet focusing itself much more in the middle of the park. But now, the four children and their digimon all saw the sources of the many screams...

Monsters unlike anything they had ever seen were coming out of the holes left out by the meteors. Monsters that then started to go on a rampage...no, not a rampage...

An organized assault. The monsters all acted in a terrifyingly cohesive fashion as they started to disperse into the streets of Phoenix City.

And as the monsters began their assault, the Tamers, Digidestined and digimon were finally able to behold the details of the monsters themselves...

The first that were leading the assaults looked like a wolf or some sort of dog that had been utterly twisted, coming out of a mad god's nightmare. Most of their bodies seemed to be composed of deep red scaled skin, but their feet ended up in huge single black claws. The heads alone of these 'hounds' were so big it seemed to take at least a third of the fiends' whole size. An eyeless head with some sort of brownish 'carapace' covering the upper half of the skull, as seemingly endless rows of teeth could be seen jutting out of the enormous maw while all the stomach and bottom half of the beast was covered by long black mass of hairs, while an even thick mass of dark hairs, almost resembling tentacles, crowned the top of the beast's back. And from the front shoulders were coming out a pair of dark tentacles opening up at their ends like some sort of dark flowers.

And immediately following them were blue skinned humanoids that easily stood 10 feet tall. Although their torso was utterly naked, their legs and feet were covered in red plated armor...with hooves ending at the feet. But while the lower half of these humanoids was normal, it looked a bit thin compared to how much more muscled is the torso and upper halves of these humanoids, especially the arms. While their left arms were bare naked as well, aside from huge plated gloves covering their whole lower arm, their right ones were completely covered in heavy plating. Along with that, three larges metallic 'horns' seemed to came out of the backs of these humanoids. One in the middle, right behind the creature's head, with the other two on the side, closer to the shoulders. The head itself was covered in a helmet ending up in the shape of a long horn.  
And these humanoids were also armed with enormous maces or swords of a truly wicked and twisted design.  
But from the look in their eyes...one could register a deep and sinister cunning, along with a mad lust for destruction.

The children and the digimon just stood there, seemingly frozen, as those monsters charged in every direction, starting to unleash paths of pure destruction in their wake, leaving nothing untouched.

Just as more also started to head out in the direction of the four children and four digimon themselves...

But as they approached, only one digimon seemed to be starting to react. His right hand, holding his sword tightly, seemed to be shaking oddly. His breath was increasing, and his eyes only became more focus...with murderous hatred...

And with an earth-shattering roar, the dragon digimon charged right into the mass of monsters...but as he did, he glowed in light...and reverted to his cybernetical form of MetalRyumon.

And a monstrous massacre began. The large cybernetic dragon started to wage out his own destruction among the monstrous invaders. With sharpened metallic claws and teeth, he proceeded to cut and shred through anything in his way, while his cannons on his back blazed out in a multi-colored fire of energy blasts raining down upon the beasts.

Yet, even with this unexpected counter-attack, the monsters didn't seem deterred. Several of the horrific hounds rushed and leapt upon MetalRyumon, seeking to claw and bite at him while many of tall humanoid ones sought to slash at his body.  
Even with many opponents of himself, MetalRyumon wasn't deterred. He spread his wings, and shook his whole body, sending many of the hounds flying around, crashing among their own.

And MetalRyumon's actions also snapped out the children and the other digimon of their 'trance'.

"Wh-What's MetalRyumon doing?!? He's really gonna fight them all on his own?!?" Impmon said. Even if he was one often itching for a fight, he felt himself very unsure to join a fight of such proportions...

"Fighting back this invasion of course." Another voice added. The children and the digimon turned back to see Krasus standing behind them, although with a very darkened expression on his hooded face. "As all of us should do as well."

"W-What?!? You really want us to fight...these?!?" Kylee asked in shock.

"Demons." Krasus specified. "The Burning Legion is an army comprised of demons of countless types.

Yet, even if it might seem hopeless...the Legion CAN be pushed back. You CAN stop and defeat the Legion. If we act quickly enough, we will be able to avoid considerable damage and losses to this entire world." The wizard added.

Both Regan and Kari, along with Gatomon, seemed to get some understanding of the situation...while Riza and Kylee, along with their digimon, were still rather uncertain.

"I will be honest. There are already reports of casualties, children.  
Yes...people are dying as we speak. And if nothing is done...Then this entire world will perish...and the Digital World connected to this world will as well..." Krasus added.

"...Digital World connected to this world?!?" Kylee repeated. "H-Hold on...does that means...But I thought there was-"

"Merely one Digital World connected to countless versions of the Human World?" Krasus interrupted. "No. In truth, each reality you know of, hold a Human and a Digital World connected to each other. And in Kari and Regan's case as well, they do originate from a world that also has its own Human and Digital World counterpart. Although there are other realities, other dimensions, like the Dark Ocean, which may transcend those limits.

But in truth Tamers...neither Regan nor Kari actually came from the Digital World of their reality.

They came...from the _**True Digital World**_..."

"The True Digital World?" Riza asked.

"The heart of all realities. One singular Digital World upon which all realities are linked to. And recently, Chosens were summoned to this Digital World to protect it, and Regan and Kari were chosen among them.

Thus...you could say that these protectors of the True Digital World could be called...the _Core Chosen_..."

"Guys...Is he right?" Kylee asked uncertainly toward the two Digidestined.  
"Yes." Regan answered a bit darkly. "The first time we met, I had come from the True Digital World. I know we kinda lied on this at first, but it would probably be less hard to take as granted."  
"But seriously...you can't want us to go fight these demons?!? How are we gonna win?!?" Riza said.  
"Actually, what you don't know...is that the Burning Legion is that same evil that invaded the True Digital World thousands of years ago." Regan replied.

"H-Hold on." Impmon said. "So you mean, that Lizomon fought them before?!? Back in his time?!?"  
"Correct. The Legion indeed invaded the True Digital World...however it appears they are unwilling to concede defeat...and thus are willing to return to take revenge." Krasus said.  
"But it's not right world they attacked before!" Kylee said.  
"It doesn't look like they care for that..." Gatomon muttered. "One world is as good as any other to them it seems."  
"It could be much worse." Krasus added pacing around the children. "If they destroy this reality, they could potentially gain access to the True Digital World...which would be unprepared for a new invasion. This is why a stand must be made here and now!"

Looking toward the seemingly endless numbers of demons, they saw how MetalRyumon kept fighting on. But now as they saw him, covered in greenish grime and other fluids, he still fought as hard as ever...although it seemed that his originally savage acting had been replaced with a grimmer state.

A powerful roar came on, before a humongous humanoid form came charging straight for MetalRyumon. The huge form, while not as tall as the digimon, seemed to be made only of pure greenish flames...and rock that seemed to have been sculpted to resemble more or less a humanoid structure.

"Infernals..." Krasus muttered as he saw the fiery demon near MetalRyumon. The creature released a surprisingly powerful roar as it neared the metal digimon, before delivering a surprisingly powerful punch right into the face of MetalRyumon, causing the digimon to recoil back, and making the children gasp.

However MetalRyumon wasn't deterred. He rushed straight on...before opening his maw wide...and closing it upon the Infernal...and then started spinning on himself at an increased speed...before releasing his hold, and hurling the Infernal in the air...before it fell down...in the middle of other demons, causing out a deadly commotion in its crash.

"Infernal, Fel Guards and Felhounds are not much to handle for MetalRyumon, even if he is not his former self." Krasus commented.  
"Fel Guards? Felhounds?" Kari asked. Surprisingly, this showed to the Tamers that even the Digidestined held very little knowledge of the demons themselves.  
"Fel Guards are the common soldiers of the Legion, armed with various weapons of great size. Felhounds on the other hand, are the Legion's forerunners, and hunting hounds. And they also are feared mage hunters."  
"Mage hunters?" Regan asked. "How?"

Before Krasus could answer, a huge howling sound exploded in the air...as a large form fell upon close to the children and the digimon...

None other than a Felhound...which seemed to be aiming for Krasus. Despite having no eyes, it seemed to have little problems finding its targets.

In a surprising move, Krasus quickly moved out of the hound's way, dodging the beast's flailing tentacles and teeth, before he brought up a hand forward, uttering a few quick words of magical power.

And just as the hound started to charge on him, a powerful and quick fireball erupted from the wizard's open hand, rushing straight at the demon.

Seeing this, Kylee sure thought that Krasus had bested the hound, even if it was supposed to be a 'mage hunter'...but she and the others looked with horror...as the hound suddenly stopped itself, before the end of its tentacles opened wide at the fireball...and actually absorbed the fireball without any sign of difficulties.

Now she realized why these creatures were mage hunters...They actually absorbed the magic without any problem!!!

However, something odd happened. The Felhound started to hesitate a bit...before it went for Krasus again. However, as it made a huge leap...

...it exploded in a fiery blast. Without any indication of warning, the creature just exploded in flames.

"H-How?!?" Regan said in amazement. He managed to somehow recall from Ragnarastrasz's ancient memories that these hounds actually fed on magical energy with dreadful ease, but he never expected that Krasus would have done something to destroy them with such ease.

"While it looked I casted a simple fireball at this hound, it was something much more complex, actually purposely designed to destroy it from the inside. As the hound absorbed the spell's magics, the spell itself became altered, and transformed into something else that used the felhound's own energy against it." Krasus casually explain.

Regan was indeed shocked in amazement. As much as he knew how skilful Krasus was, this definitively showed how the wizard was deeply knowledgeful in his art.

"Look out!" Riza yelled...just as a larger Fel Guard came from behind, sword raised at the cloaked mage...and brought it down upon Krasus.

The children looked away in horror...but no screams or the sound of flesh hitting was heard...However, they did start to hear some grunting...

And looking back...they saw...Krasus actually blocking the large blade by merely holding it with his bare hand!  
And shockingly, it seemed that the wizard displayed absolutely no effort in holding the blade, only keeping a serious expression. The demon on the other hand, seemed much more confused...and straining extremely hard...

"It appears you sought much more than you could fight, demon..." Krasus stated. With his hand...he lifted the Felguard in the air, before throwing him back on the ground.

"H-How..." Kylee started, but she stopped as she saw Krasus act again.

He threw his head backward, letting his hood fall down, and raised his arms to his sides, fingers wide open.  
But as he did so...Kylee started to notice...that something seemed to be moving beneath Krasus' cloak...

"His...His hands..." Riza said. And looking at them, one could easily see that the wizard's hands were changing. They were becoming sharp, taloned...and crimson red scales were now growing rapidly upon his hands...  
It was not all. Just as that new transformation began, the wizard's cloak started to shift...before a long reptilian tail actually pulled itself out of beneath the cloak.

Krasus then fell forward, on all fours, as the change went on...and the children and digimon could actually see that the cloak also seemed to change along with the wizard's body : It actually seemed to be fusing, becoming a part of Krasus' own body. And as it happened, two odd growths started to emerge near Krasus' shoulder blades...before the growths spread out...taking on the shapes...

...of wings...

The cloak changed, becoming red scales upon the wizard's body...And as it happened...Krasus grew...grew...and grew in size...

And he grew until he easily dwarfed everyone around by several meters...as now his form had utterly changed.

Gone were any traces of humanity on the wizard...Instead, what the children saw, was the backside of a gigantic crimson scaled behemoth...

A kind of behemoth they actually were _very_ familiar...

"DRAGON!!!" shouted Riza, Kylee, Impmon and Veemon all at once.

And as the word was uttered, the children saw the long neck of the behemoth stretching in the skies, and saw the dragon's head unleashing a powerful roar, his great wings spreading out.

Despite the beast's size, they could still see the Fel Guard Krasus had thrown away, by looking between the dragon's legs. And they could see the demon clearly was confused...possibly even scared. This certainly wasn't something it had expected...

And the last the children saw of the demon...was to see the maw of the dragon come down upon the unfortunate demon with a squishing sound...before the dragon opened his maw, releasing out a torrent of flames.

"Ssstill as horribly tasting as ever..." the huge behemoth rumbled, letting out a hiss at first.

And then the behemoth turned his enormous body, before he fully faced the children and digimon.

And as they gazed upon him, they could all see this dragon was indeed a Red Dragon...however he stood even bigger than either Ragnarok or Ragnarastrasz.  
His golden eyes held an incredibly experienced gaze, and the length of his horns was much longer than those of Ragnarastrasz, along with the fact he displayed a much more impressive crest on his head.

However, the children could also see how the behemoth's horns looked a bit more weathered at their ends, and that despite the fact the dragon still held a glorious and fiery red coloring on his scales, it seemed to be a bit more faded compared to Ragnarastrasz's own scales.

And interestingly enough, the right side of the dragon seemed wounded...in a similar way to the three scars upon the face of Krasus...

"As I said, children. We do have a fighting chance...if we are all willing to fight." The behemoth then said.  
"Wh-Wh-What the heck are you?!?" Impmon asked with a whimper.  
"Are you...Krasus?!?" Veemon asked, also easily intimidated.

"Actually..." Regan replied, looking extremely calm, and unsurprised by the dragon's appearance(much to the surprise of the Tamers). "I guess we should make a re-introduction."

"Kylee, Riza, Impmon, Veemon...

Meet...

_Korialstrasz_...The Wiseful One.

Prime Consort of the Red Dragonqueen...and She Who Is Life..._Alexstrasza_..." Regan said.

The Tamers blinked for a moment...before reacting in utter shock.

"WHAT???" they all yelled.  
"Hold on a minute...You...You actually are...THAT Korialstrasz?!? The same Korialstrasz Regan spoke in his story about Ragnarastrasz?!?" Kylee asked.

"This is indeed correct." Korialstrasz answered. "Ragnarastrasz was indeed one of my own children which I had raised proudly, until he died..."  
The dragon then looked downward.

"His death did affect me deeply. And in a sense, I would had hoped his life could have gone on better...So, you could say, in a moment of unusual inspiration...I decided to give Ragnarastrasz a new life...in a much more different manner..." the dragon added.  
"Hold on, what about Krasus?!?" Riza asked.  
"Actually Riza, I am _both_ Krasus and Korialstrasz. Krasus is simply one of my many names, many masks I have used throughout my long existence...This here, what you see before you...Is who I truly am."  
"H-Hold on a minute!" Impmon yelled. "Didn't Regan just said that-"  
"That my Queen is Alexstrasza?" Korialstrasz interrupted. "This is true. She is indeed my beloved Queen...and the Dragon Aspect I serve faithfully with my heart..."  
"...Dragon Aspect...So this means..." Kylee said.  
"That those you know as the Aspects...Actually are dragons too." Kari said.

"Hold on, you KNEW about this?!?" Riza asked to Regan and Kari.  
"That was a secret he kept from us at first. We believed at first that Krasus and Korialstrasz were two different persons...but he showed the truth to all of us one day..." Regan said, looking seriously toward the ancient dragon.  
"We have much more urging concerns to deal with now. We must retaliate against the Legion, a stand MUST be made." The dragon added.

A large clanging sound echoed near them, as MetalRyumon suddenly landed among the others.  
"Lord Korialstrasz...a pleasure seeing you in your true shape once more..." MetalRyumon said with a bow.  
"How much of the Legion so far?" Korialstrasz asked with some concern.  
MetalRyumon's expression grew somewhat troubled. "That is what I find strange. This invasion force seems mostly comprised of Fel Guards, hounds and Infernals. Although I did started to see some of the Doomguard appearing out to lead the inferior troops, I saw none of the Dreadlords or the Eredar..." he explained, although it was clear that the children and the other digimon didn't entirely understood everything.

Although Korialstrasz no doubt had understood clearly. "Odd indeed. Either the Legion seems to believe this world would be easily conquered, or their sorcerous might is clearly waiting in hiding." The dragon spoke.

"...What are we gonna do then?" Kylee asked.

"We will need to rout an offensive of our own." Korialstrasz said.  
"What?!? Are you expecting just us to be able to beat them?!?" Riza said.  
"Defeat the Legion on your own?" Korialstrasz said. "That would be impossible. No, I merely wish that you would make a stand and slow down the Legion's advance. In the meantime, I will discover more about the extent of the current invading force, as well as rising up additional resistance aid to fight back the Legion.

After all, even as strong as we are, just four children, four digimon, and an elder dragon will not be enough to defeat an invasion of the Burning Legion, even if it has only begun." Korialstrasz said.

"Besides, I would not be asking you such a thing if I didn't know you would be capable enough for it.

In all honesty children, you are all _more than capable_ of doing so." The dragon added.

The children and the digimon looked somewhat uncertain at the dragon's words, however MetalRyumon went on instead.

"If we wouldn't been as capable as Korialstrasz believes us to be, would we have been able to go through everything we've been so far?

Would you have been able to challenge the fears from the Dark Ocean?  
Face the threat of the Nightmare of the Emerald Dream?  
Face even the wizard Krasus in a single combat?  
Face creatures that were clearly alien to anything you had seen before?  
Stand against the dreaded and incredibly powerful Parallelmon?  
Would you have been able to stand as well against Ragnarok, and everything he threw at you?  
Even when it meant to fight Ragnarastrasz, who was considerably dangerous, did you ran away?  
And despite knowing how deadly ChaosRyumon is, did any of you ran away from the will to fight him?" MetalRyumon asked.

He fixed them all with his cybernetic eyes deeply.

"No. You did not run. You looked straight at them. You faced them defiantly...and you won." MetalRyumon added. "And this is why even today...

...even against the Legion itself...

**WE WILL PREVAIL!!!**" he finished, almost roaring at the end.

Those words couldn't have been less efficient than a bomb dropped right on top of them. The children and the digimon all looked at each others, their fears somewhat fading, but slowly replaced by a more growing confidence.

"MetalRyumon and Korialstrasz are right." Regan said, his determination rising once more. "We've been through so much things together, there's just no way we should let all of it go away like that. We're gonna fight back, and win no matter what they throw at us!"

"That's right..." Kari added. "It doesn't matter whenever it was in the True Digital World, with other Digidestined, or in another Human World...or even back in our own Digital World...We've always been able to go through everything that we faced only because we stood together...united, as one..."

"Yeah...We've been through so much, and despite what happened, we always managed to get through no matter what." Riza went on. "We didn't give up back then, and we shouldn't be giving up today either..."

"It feels kinda weird..." Kylee spoke. "To think how things were before you guys came in...It seems so long ago now...But when you guys came in, Regan and Lizomon...You opened to us the doors to an adventure unlike anything we would have ever imagined...And it was more than worth it to go through it. Not just because it might seemingly be cool or action-packed, but it was most of all because of how we changed, how this adventure changed us for the better, as we all evolved in one way or another...as we all changed thanks to ourselves and to the others around us...

It's because we've been all friends together when we started this, that we're gonna end this together as friends, always!!!"

"Yeah!!!" Impmon yelled. "There's no way we're gonna lose to a bunch of creepy demons!"  
"We've been through some scary stuff before, but that didn't stop us back then after all!" Veemon added.  
"Even if it might have been truly frightening in a way...we knew what we had to do...And so we know we still have more to do." Gatomon added calmly, yet smiling.

"So then..." MetalRyumon asked. "Think we can handle one last big rumble together?"

"You got it!!!" all the others answered back.  
"And that is what we wanted to hear." Korialstrasz spoke, unfolding his great wings. "I will go on to rise up the defense against the Legion.

And to all of you, Chosen Children of a foreign world, and Digimon Tamers of this world...I only have this to say :

Good luck to all of you, and may the blessing of the Great Aspects and the other powers of light be upon us all."

And with that, Korialstrasz leapt in the skies, following by beating his wings in the wind, taking off to the skies, although not entirely leaving without shooting out a few bursts of flames at some farther groups of demons around...

"Well then..." MetalRyumon said as he de-digivolved, reverting to Lizomon. "What will be those magic words eh kiddos?"

The four children looked at themselves before looking out at their respective partners, all sharing out a determined expression...before they all pulled out their respective digivices...

"BIO-MERGE, ACTIVATE!!!" were the next words they all shouted at once.

Four lights simultaneously bursted out from where the children and digimon were, before they grew, the Bio-Merges being unleashed...

"_Lizomon...  
"Gatomon...  
"Veemon...  
"Impmon..._

_**Bio-Merge to**_

_AtmaRyumon!!!"  
OrahAngewomon!!!"  
AmaKaisermon!!!"  
EosSandhyamon!!!"_

All four digimon emerged from their lights, before all staring toward the oncoming demonic army.

"Well then, this is it." EosSandhyamon spoke. "This might really be the biggest battle we'll ever go through."  
"But we're gonna go through it together. We started together, we'll end it together." AmaKaisermon replied.  
"The Legion isn't invincible, and that's something others have said and proven. We'll show we can fight back against the Legion too." OrahAngewomon added.  
"In any case." AtmaRyumon said, looking at the others. "It will truly be an honor to fight alongside all of you in this last battle."  
"Aw come on Atma. Don't start out as if some of us might die in this, got it?" EosSandhyamon said. "If we start thinking negative, that sure won't help us. Did MetalRyumon thought negatively 10,000 years ago?"

AtmaRyumon replied with a wide smile. "Oh he sure didn't. And he replied back to those demons with sheer determination too."  
"Well then, we're determined not to let these demons get the best of us, ain't that right?" AmaKaisermon said.  
"Let's just get into it now, shall we?" OrahAngewomon asked.

With a nod, AtmaRyumon looked back at the approaching demon, before raising his sword...and started charging at them, soon followed by the other three Bio-Merged.

And with a mighty roar, he crashed right into the front lines, bashing several demons in the air simply with his shield.

And soon this dreaded battle was joined with the fate of that world hanging upon it...

---

And in unknown realms beyond that simple world...

_The Four_ watched...

"_...Korialstrasz..."  
__"Have no fear. I am quite certain he will survive through this..."__  
"__**Coming from you, is it a prediction?"**__  
"I am not only concerned for him...But for them all..."  
__"__**Still sister...there remains a decision to be made here...**_

_**Shall we intervene or not?"**_

---

A demon's head fell off as another went down in two halves before a third more joined them, head crushed by sheer force from the sword's blunt side.

AtmaRyumon stood fiercely at the front lines, slashing away at any of the demons nearing him. Not that he was the only one killing demons.

So did his friends as well. AmaKaisermon also made excellent use of his own sword, bringing it upon many other demons while using his large wings to push and deflect further enemies. OrahAngewomon on the other hand was not as much directly involved in the conflict, however she hovered in the air, bringing her holy might on the demons as her arrows and other holy powers literally incinerated the monstrous fiends.  
EosSandhyamon on the other hand, was a lot more up-close than her angelic friend, easily rivalling with the two armoured knights, as she barrelled and spun swiftly around, her claws ripping whatever passed nearby while she often finished up her work with her gun.

"Heh, I sure could keep it up all day! How 'bout you guys?" EosSandhyamon replied as she made a long backward jump to get out of that small part of the battle, rejoining with her friends.  
"Don't be too cocky." OrahAngewomon warned. "Those demons are a lot more dangerous than they might look."  
A giant gust of wind flowed nearby, before dozens of demons were hurled backward, compliment of AmaKaisermon. "They kinda look more like cannon fodder to be honest. Sure, they're rough...but we've been through worse." He added after folding back his large wings.

AtmaRyumon held his shield tightly, as an Infernal kept banging repeatedly on it, yet every time, neither did the Atma's Protector, nor the arm behind it faltered.  
AtmaRyumon exhaled, a strong pure white fire unleashed from his mouth washed over the monstrous beast, forever dousing its green flames at all life from the Infernal ceased to be, the rocks falling apart with nothing holding them together anymore.

"The Legion is much more dangerous than you'd think. For starters, we know they can have billions of demons at their disposal. Hell, surely several thousands of billions." AtmaRyumon said, briefly looking at his friends before focusing on the battle once more. "Here comes another wave!" he warned out.

The other three digimon quickly replied, joining up again on the fight. They continued hacking away at their infernal enemies, who never ceased fighting. The demons did not even seemed to care for the increasing dead among them, and most often just walked and crushed over the remains of their fallen.

They only saw those who had to die in front of them. Those that had to be destroyed.

Yet, AtmaRyumon's words were true. There were already a large force of demons that had entered the world, and perhaps hundreds more were coming each minute that passed.  
Not to mention that the Legion was far from being mindless...

More and more of the demonic warriors came for the four Bio-Merged digimon, for the unseen masters of the invasion had clearly identified those beings as a serious threat to their attack. A threat that had to be dealt with.

OrahAngewomon was the first one to notice a change. At first, most of what they fought had been the ground troops of the Fel Guards, with a few felbeasts and Infernals added at times, however she started to notice the increasing numbers of Infernals and Felbeasts that were coming at them...

...not to mention that, when she rose her gaze...she saw several dozens of winged figures coming at them.

Red skinned with cloven hooves as feet, molten armor covering them, long swords or similar weapons in hand, along with long horned and demonical heads, and with fiery wings, there was no mistaking this new type of demon that were coming on the battle.

MetalRyumon had called them by name earlier : Doomguards. Higher ranked warriors compared to the common Fel Guards, but often more cunning and stronger. MetalRyumon had been saying he had seen them leading the Legion's war effort, but that large upcoming number clearly showed them that the real leading figures may not be Doomguards at all...

"Beware! From the sky!" OrahAngewomon shouted.

AtmaRyumon looked a bit up, after having hurled another Infernal back in the midst of the Legion, then cursed when he saw the approaching 'flock' of demons.  
"Two-pronged assault. From the earth and skies at once..." he muttered.

"Eos! Ama! Watch out! We've got new enemies coming up from the skies!" he yelled out.

The others quickly nodded to this, before shifting out their strategies. AmaKaisermon quickly took off to the skies before unleashing a strong Tempest Rend at the oncoming demons while EosSandhyamon started gunning down the demons out from the skies, one by one, soon imitated by OrahAngewomon, with the use of her arrows. Unfortunately, after her first kill, the demons started to execute some evading maneuvers, dodging her shots. It was clear they were learning well...

"_Darn it, idiots!!!"_ Lizomon cursed very strongly.  
"_Something's wrong?"_ Regan asked.  
"_They're not fighting properly!"_ Lizomon yelled out at Regan, within AtmaRyumon.

"Atma's Protector!" AtmaRyumon called out, then from his shield grew out a giant forcefield, much in the shape of his own shield. And with this giant force shield, AtmaRyumon gave out an enormous bash right in the middle of the demon forces, throwing back a large amount all at once, before proceeding to take to the skies, coming up close to the other Bio-Merged.

"Not like this guys!!!" AtmaRyumon then yelled out to the other three.  
"Huh?!? What are you talking of?" EosSandhyamon said, right after bringing down a Doomguard with a headshot.  
"Don't go out here and there to deal with the demons! That's what they want us to do! To get separated! We have to be coordinated and act strategically!" AtmaRyumon replied.  
"Of course..." OrahAngewomon muttered after pulling back her hands from one of her 'Heaven's Charm' attack which burned down several demons before the rest scattered.  
"So what should we do then?" AmaKaisermon asked.

There was one thing clear in this in the children's eyes.  
If there was one that should be leading their own plans against them, it was Lizomon...or in that case, AtmaRyumon.

Within, the former Guardian smiled, knowing he managed to bring out proper sense back in his fellow friends...and reminding himself of his ancient days...

"Girls, you keep up in the air and bring down those aerial furies. AmaKaisermon, you're with me on the ground!" AtmaRyumon ordered.  
"Got it!" AmaKaisermon answered.  
"We'll be bringing them down in no time!" EosSandhyamon replied back while OrahAngewomon simply replied with a strong nod.

The two knights went down on the ground once more, bearing their swords into play as the two angels aimed their respective weapons toward the oncoming flying demons.

And on went the battle...

---

"_...Regan...Kari...Riza...Kylee...Hold on just more..._

_Help is on its way..."_

---

Regan still had trouble believing his current actions. At how he and his friends stood valiantly against one of the greatest evils there may ever exist.

At how they, merely children and digital beings, were literally the hinges upon which the fates of this world and all those who lived upon it hung on.  
At how they so mercilessly killed those monstrosities that sought only their deaths...For the demons were quite a contrast to the Digimon...

When they died, their bodies didn't disappeared like how a digimon's would do. No, they died just like real living beings would.

But there was also more...His life seemed so simple before...Until Krasus/Korialstrasz intervened...and turned his life upside-down into a maelstrom of chaos.

And in many ways he hated the dragon for what he did...Just as in another way he respected the ancient being...

The changes brought many horrors...but, Regan had to admit it...It also brought a certain wonder as well...

Although one couldn't say that what he brought on Kylee and Riza's world with his conflict against Ragnarok surely was a thing of wonder...Although it truly did changed these two Tamers, allowing these two children to make strong bonds with Regan.

Those twists were weighing heavily upon Regan.  
But he knew he had to go on.

Sadly, there was no other choices...For Life...

That such evil could even exist truly perturbed Kari. It truly was much more different than the digimon she fought against before...

Oh how these times seemed so far now...so distant...

And how now those she fought with were no longer the same friends...  
Friends, and family whom she was even separated...

How things were so different back then...

...and yet...

So little changed...

Still, she would not give in. There were so many reasons as to why she could not give up now...

Her friends for instance...Those she wished to see once more...

But she corrected herself. She wasn't alone in this. Regan too had lost people he cared in this...  
And besides...she also had other friends right now she fought with right now...

...

Oh how things are so much alike...even when the time between them seem so far...

It was just insane. Pure insanity. What kind of insane god could have even made a thing like the Burning Legion? Riza couldn't understand why something like those demons could even exist. It was almost too much for him to hold on.

So many things happened to both he and Kylee. They had been through so many things, much often together, only because a stranger child dropped in their lives...and literally transformed their lives unlike anything they could have ever imagined...

Yet...Riza wondered a bit...Would had it been better if Regan had never come?  
Would it have been better if none of those chaotic adventures never came to be?

Riza smiled as he stared at the horde of demons facing him.  
No. There were no real reasons as to why things should go back to how they were before. Things were better this way...even if it looked grim right now...

...they would get through it...

...Just as they have done so every other times...  
All together.

As she continued to fight on, Kylee kept wondering on many things...but especially looking back on things of the past.

It seemed so strange now...her time when Digimon Taming was just a simple game...  
How in that time, she would also be dreaming of special adventures, dreaming of those animated characters at how they could do incredible things...

...Until Regan crashed right into their lives, and certainly with quite a bang as well.

And the game was changed into a struggle of life and death...against a behemoth of Death itself...Ragnarok.

Their lives had been so much changed by this adventure unlike anything they would had ever thought possible.

And yet, it didn't truly brought that much fun or wonder...but rather mostly horror and pain...And they all went awfully close to death...  
She could never forget Impmon's betrayal when he sought to kill Lizomon, and had critically injured Riza in the process...nor could she forget how dreadful her first encounter with Ragnarok had been...

...how he made her look utterly powerless against his terrifying beast, Chaos.

But they had been able to get through it thanks to her friends, and also thanks to Impmon, who had turned his 'curse' into a blessing at that time.

And later on...they had faced Ragnarok for what he really was : A mad monster that believed itself to be a god. But that god fell to the might of AtmaRyumon...but mostly thanks to the power and strength the two Tamers and their digimon had given to Regan and Lizomon in that dire moment.

Life almost seemed so dull when it was over, when Ragnarok and Regan were no more upon their world. That adventure had so drastically changed them...

...Then Regan came back out of the blue once more, and yet again, plunged them all into a new, yet much more chaotic adventure, as this time, one whom they could have also seen as a legend came alongside Regan : Kari Kamiya.

It's so strange to think how back then, Kari had been reacting with some fear and many uncertainties at the Tamers and their world, just as Regan also brought up considerable hostility...but mostly in regard that he wanted to protect Kari, of that Kylee was certain.

But as things went on, a thing that, quite a while ago, Kylee would only thought possible in dreams, became true, as she and Riza became good friends with Kari, restrengthening their bond with Regan in the process.

It truly allowed all of them to grow such incredible bonds...for children that were of two different worlds.

With despite that friendship...there had also been even more pain, horror, and death once again, by the dark hand of a much more powerful and cunning Ragnarok who truly pushed the children and their digimon to their greatest of limits.

But they were able to prevail...Until now.

Kylee looked back at all those demons, and at the dark sky with its greenish portal that kept spewing more demons upon their world.

She wondered if things might had been better if Regan never came.

Nah...Things would have been _boring_...

True, things right now were looking grim...but there had been so many wonderful that had also happened. Just when they were so close to what could have been the best of things among themselves, Kylee had no intention of letting down her friends, nor her world.

After all, they had the power of friendship with them.

---

And so the four digimon kept fighting on, pushing the Legion back as best as they could. Although even if so far they looked successful, the Legion would surely overcome them the moment they would begin to hesitate.

AtmaRyumon breathed out a large blast of white flames once more before taking a small breather, but as he sniffed the air, he smelled something odd...

...Something that stirred up old memories in Lizomon.

"_N-No...It can't be..."_ Lizomon muttered.  
"_What is it?"_ Regan asked.  
"_New...and old enemies..."_ Lizomon replied.

"Fel digimon!!!" AtmaRyumon shouted.

The other three digimon sparked in surprise.

"Huh? What are you talking about Atma?" AmaKaisermon asked.  
"We've got new enemies coming up..." AtmaRyumon answered darkly. "The result of the demonic corruption upon our kind...

Fel Digimon..."

Shrieking sounds started coming up from within the ranks of the demons, before new forms suddenly darted up from the ranks, going straight at the digimon defenders.

And it did not took long for AmaKaisermon to recognize those digimons...

Impmon...

But they weren't like the Impmon he knew well of. They looked much more different, their ear appendages grown more as if they were horns instead, along with sharp fangs and teeth coming out of their mouths. Their gloves were pierced at the ends by long claws while their bodies were somewhat thinner, yet they didn't had lost any of their speed or endurance despite that. Although their bodies also had odd faint greenish traces all over them.

But none could deny the eyes. While these green eyes might previously been holding a mischievous glint in them, they now held a more wicked and cunning glow in them.  
And AmaKaisermon could also see in them...the desire to kill...

"W-What?!? Impmons?!?" AmaKaisermon said.  
"No..._Fel_ Impmons..." AtmaRyumon answered, with clear distaste. "Consider them being corrupted versions of the digimon you know...and even stronger than the normal ones..."

The numerous Impmons all leapt for the two knights, some of them throwing out greenish fireballs at them, but the two digimon were quick to react, running sideways to evade most of them, before AtmaRyumon brought up his shield to block more of them.

"Tempest Rend!"  
"Atma Blade!"

And two powerful slashes were unleashed, cutting short of most of the corrupted digimon.

"Orah! Watch out, digimon incoming!" EosSandhyamon warned out. OrahAngewomon looked up, and Kari's eyes widened within the digimon at the sight of the oncoming attackers...

Devimon...Many, many Devimons...But they were not like they should have been...  
While they were mostly black, as they should be, its horns were significantly larger, and twisted downward instead of upward. Not to mention that their wings were encased in greenish flames, especially coming out of the shredded parts of the wings. Unlike the original one, these Devimons did not had shoes, revealing out long clawed feet, while their claws on their hands were even more lengthened. And instead of a red glow in their eyes was a greenish one, as green as the flames coming from their wings. Also, that digimon did not bore any brownish bandages on his arms, having considerable greenish burns visible on them instead.

And to think Kari doubted that Devimon could seemed even more influenced by darkness...She just had the living proof that these digimon were even worse than she could ever imagine.

In fact, she started to realize...The Fel Digimon...  
Might actually be the ancestors of the present-time virus digimon...  
Would it mean that for every of the actual known virus digimon...there was a Fel counterpart too?  
Kari dreaded to imagine one of the Mega level viruses as a Fel abomination...Already she could feel out how much stronger from the original digimons these Fel digimon were...

She recalled how Lizomon often spoke of how digimon were much stronger than they are, back in his time. The need for survival had forced the digimon to become war-like in order to face the demons long ago...and so it appears that long after this threat was over, the digimon lost most of that old strength.

It was likely that Lizomon never truly lost his own former strength as an ancient digimon, which often explained while he could easily overpower digimon that often stands on equal level with him...and even defeat digimon of one level above his own...

But then, Lizomon often not 'blamed' that only on his ancient strength, but his strategic skills too. Many times she had seen Lizomon as a rookie form go out for more sensitive areas of a larger Champion digimon, or strike out where the other would have a harder time to retaliate.

Still, it wasn't the time to contemplate. Drawing out her bow, OrahAngewomon shot a light arrow straight into one of the Fel Devimons, striking dead in its chest, causing it to jerk and fall from the skies before it faded, belching out green smoke and data.

And it didn't took long before EosSandhyamon imitated her, unleashing several volleys of bullets at the twisted digimon, bringing them down.

"Well, I got to hand it to them, they sure know how to keep us occupied." EosSandhyamon said, while she kept gunning down more of the corruted digimon.  
"_But for how long?"_ Kari thought.

"Get off!" AmaKaisermon yelled as he suddenly opened his wings suddenly, throwing away a large number of Fel Impmons that had climbed up all over him. He then started to look around, getting to strike at any of the oncoming demons.

"Dread Wing!"

A sudden chilling wind picked up before AmaKaisermon felt his limbs stiffen and he found himself behind thrown backward. As soon as he struck the ground, he shook off the numbness and rose up, looking toward what would have struck him...

A digimon whose appearance was very familiar...as one of the more famous antagonists of the Digimon 'anime show'...

Myotismon. But a Myotismon with a greenish tint in his gray skin, but in a strange constrast to the previous monstrous versions of the corrupted Impmons, that Myotismon had a darker shading on his clothes, and clothes, except the fact that he didn't wore gloves, due to some long nails he had. But there was no denying a sinister cunning in those greenish eyes of that Myotismon...no...Fel Myotismon...

"...A Myotismon?" AmaKaisermon spoke, somewhat surprised.  
AtmaRyumon glared toward the demonized vampire digimon. "Ama, keep the pressure up on the front. I'll deal with this little undead." He said.  
"Huh? But he an Ultimate, shouldn't be much of a threat." AmaKaisermon said.  
"No. He's a Fel Digimon. They are much stronger than normal ones. Even a Fel Ultimate could be a threat to you if you're careless. I'm familiar with that kind of digimon, so I know how to deal with them. Just take care of everything else, and I'll handle out this one." AtmaRyumon answered.  
"...Alright then." AmaKaisermon said. Riza didn't took long to understand how indeed Lizomon would still have his considerable experience from his time back then.

And just as AmaKaisermon readied to stand off against the other digimon and demons, he gave one glance at the other armoured dragon, charging off at the vampire digimon...

---

And just as EosSandhyamon kept flying back and forth, kicking back against several Fel Devimons before unloading more bullets at them, a long clawed hand stretched out to her....only to get blocked by OrahAngewomon.

"Keep an eye out Eos..." OrahAngewomon spoke direly.  
EosSandhyamon looked behind her to see the angel digimon...and see what she had just blocked...

One could have believed that this digimon once was an Angewomon, but whenever this would be true...only LadyDevimon herself would be knowing the answer. This LadyDevimon was dressed in dark clothes much like she would be, only the obvious difference was that all the eyes on her form were all of a demonic green color instead. Not to mention the fact that her wings were half covered in green flames as well. And the lengthened canines from her dark smug did nothing to help that.

No doubt, Fel LadyDevimon this was.

"Eos...You keep on dealing with those Devimons...I'll deal with _her_..." OrahAngewomon said very darkly.

And with that, the angel digimon rushed straight for the demon one, her hands awash with light.

For a moment, Kylee was hoping that Gatomon(and maybe Kari too) would have gotten out of those habits she had back in those days from her adventures with Tai and the others...  
Seems old catfighting habits hardly die...

---

"_And so the die is cast..."_

---

The battle kept heating up, especially with two leading Fel digimon now directly fighting the four Bio-Merge digimon. AtmaRyumon kept a close distance with the Fel Myotismon, who often threw out dark bats at him, while slashing out with his long claws. AtmaRyumon made a long slash that nearly ripped the vampire's cloak in two as he leapt on the sides to avoid the sword. However, the vampire sneered before he pulled out a long red blooded sword of his own, etched with dark runes, but showing a dark smile at the dragon knight.

Blasts of light and darkness kept flaring up between the Fel LadyDevimon and OranAngewomon as they kept fighting each other, more than often with kicks, punches, and of course...slaps...

And in the midst of this, the Bio-Merge Tamers also kept fighting on the weaker Fel Digimons, bringing everything they had to push back the invaders.

AmaKaisermon took a bit of a breather after having slashed through ten Fel Impmons in a row, before checking on the current situation for everyone : AtmaRyumon locked in an intense swordfight with Fel Myotismon...OrahAngewomon locked in a...catfight...with Fel LadyDevimon...And as for EosSandhyamon, she was gunning down more Fel Devimon just as a large fiery greenish meteor was falling toward he-

Fiery greenish meteor?!?

"Kylee! Watch out, above you!!!" AmaKaisermon yelled out.

EosSandhyamon barely turned her head toward AmaKaisermon, then looking upward...just as the meteor struck her head on, before both digimon and meteor crashed into the ground.

"KYLEE!!!" AmaKaisermon yelled, panicked. Instinctively, he reacted, abandoning his current position before going toward the crash site.

"Ama! What are you doing?!?" AtmaRyumon yelled out, only barely noticing his comarde's unexpected action. "Come back!"

But AmaKaisermon didn't listened. All that mattered to Riza right now was Kylee. He had to get her out of there. He had to put her safe.

At first his heart leapt when he saw EosSandhyamon somewhat crawling out of the crater...but it further sank as he saw a huge form of greenish flames and rocks coming out of the crater right behind her. They had already known how Infernals often made meteoric 'entrances' upon the battlefield...but that one had clearly a target in whatever passed as a mind for that thing...

"Behind you Kylee!" AmaKaisermon shouted.

The Infernal raised a huge fiery fist, just as EosSandhyamon spun on her back, gun raised at the behemoth, before she pulled the trigger, releasing a shot straight at the monster's stony shoulder. The shot sent the Infernal stepping back a little bit, but it caught caught itself up, and readied to strike, and brought down his fist.

With a sudden burst of energy, EosSandhyamon leapt out of the crater, before landing back on her feet, standing further away from the fiery golem.  
The Infernal on the other hand simply roared its frustration as it rose his fist, before charging straight at the Bio-Merged digimon. He threw his right fist, which EosSandhyamon skilfully dodged, before he continued with his left one, and repeated his attacks as the digimon kept dodging them.

But AmaKaisermon was quick to notice that EosSandhyamon was not at her best. She seemed under a greater strain than she should have been, obviously due to the considerable damage she had just suffered from the Infernal's original strike.  
Quickly, EosSandhyamon brought up her gun once more, although it started glowing before increasing in size, charging up for her Twilight Blaster, and indeed, she yelled out just as the gun shot up a large white and black sphere of energy which exploded upon the large Infernal, sending it recoiling back...

...but the abomination was not defeated yet. This particular one had been purposely strengthened more than usual, just for that purpose...  
And it rose up once more, before its two fists raised in the air and slammed them together...before bringing them down into the earth. The enormous shock sent considerable tremors into the ground, completely shaking up EosSandhyamon who unexpected lost her balance.  
And the Infernal didn't hesitated next to throw out a large fiery fist right into EosSandhyamon's chest, sending her flying backward, before she crashed into a deserted building, and fell slumped on the ground.

Just as the Infernal was ready to move on to finish her, AmaKaisermon met the demonic being head on which reacted with a rather frustrated roar at the presence of the other digimon in its way. It rose its fist in the air, before bringing it down at AmaKaisermon, with the goal of smashing his head in his chest, but AmaKaisermon quickly brought up his sword in the air, blocking the immense hit with the thin blade, although he felt the considerable might of the Infernal behind the fist's strike.

Without further hesitation, AmaKaisermon spun around, bringing out the Omni Sword which struck deep into the Infernal's side, causing out some green flames to come out of the rocks. The Infernal roared, although it was unknown if it was suffering pain or not. However, it slammed its fists in the ground together again, repeating his previous maneuver.

And AmaKaisermon too lost balance. However, just as the large demon sought to punch the digimon, AmaKaisermon righted himself, and brought his sword up, and as the Infernal neared with his swing, the sword impaled itself right in the rocks that served as chest for the demon. The demon briefly stopped, as new green flames came out of the opening, before he sought to reach out for AmaKaisermon. But as the digimon refused to give up, the Infernal only made the sword inch deeper and deeper into itself.

Until it pierced through its back...and finally the Infernal stilled...before its fire faded, leaving only dull rocks which remained floating in the air for a moment, before they all collapsed on the ground, now lifeless.

AmaKaisermon huffed and let out a long breath. He had never thought that these Infernals could be so tough...but he had managed to beat it...and save Kylee.

"Kylee, you're okay?" AmaKaisermon asked as he turned to face the still slumped down EosSandhyamon. The fallen angel digimon started to react, stirring up, before she started to look at AmaKaisermon, beginning to nod...before her mouth opened up.

"Watch out, behind you!" EosSandhyamon screamed.

And AmaKaisermon quickly spun around, sword extended...only to catch a felbeast in mid-air, ripping it in two as it fell on the ground, gurgling.  
"_An awfully close one."_ Riza thought. He remembered well how one Felbeast had at first easily absorbed Krasus' magic, and Riza started to wonder if the Felbeasts also sought digimon power too...

But those thoughts suddenly disappeared as pain engulfed him. He felt as if he was being ripped apart from within...as if he was being drained away.

_Drained away?_

Riza and Veemon both realized with growing horror that there had not been just one felbeast that charged at them...but several...  
And one, or maybe all of them had clamped on AmaKaisermon's back, their black tentacles clamped on the digimon's body as if leeches...  
Indeed...Felbeasts also fed on digimon energy as much as magical energy...

AmaKaisermon sought to struggle, attempting to tear off the fiends from him, but they kept themselves firmly in places. They wouldn't be denied their food now...  
And all while this was happening, EosSandhyamon watched with pure horror. Kylee wanted to get up, to at least raise her gun and blast down the demons to smithereens, but she was too weakened for even that right now...  
And Riza was dying right in front of him...

"Thunderclap!!!"

Massive shockwaves suddenly rippled out all over AmaKaisermon and the felbeasts, unexpectedly sending them flying away from their prey, and bowling all over each other.

The pain finally ceased for Riza and Veemon, and through faded eyes, they watched, just like Kylee and Impmon, a quick and sudden grayish form rushing for the felbeasts before it rose up a large arm, and slammed it down upon several felbeasts at once, crushing them with ease.

But some escaped that attack. And they quickly regrouped, ready to stand against their new adversary.

And as AmaKaisermon's vision cleared, they were finally able to realize what their savior was...

A strong-looking man dressed in a white and dark purple suit very, which wore a very long red scarf around its neck. It's face though was utterly hidden by a gray mask. And his right arm was utterly mechanical. That digimon had quite an interestingly heroic look to it.

And as the felbeasts charged as one upon the new digimon, he swiftly leapt over them, one leg extended as he spun and slammed unto the hounds, dealing more critical blows to the remaining ones. And with his large cybernetic arm, it literally crushed the remaining hounds.

"Looks like this was a timely help, wasn't it?" the digimon asked as it came up to AmaKaisermon, extending its mechanical arm to the other.  
"Y-Yeah...thanks..." AmaKaisermon managed to speak, as he rose up, with help from the other.

A heavily deformed body suddenly fell among them, before Riza realized what it had been...The Fel LadyDevimon, utterly burned away by OrahAngewomon's powers of light, just as the angel digimon indeed floated down.

A large white fiery blast warned out AmaKaisermon that AtmaRyumon was done with his own little problem, as he saw him walk toward them, sword covered in demon blood, just as Riza could notice the body of Fel Myotismon...without a head on its shoulders...

"You're okay?" OrahAngewomon asked as she came to EosSandhyamon, and helped her get up.  
"Yeah, I'll be fine...although I've been better." EosSandhyamon replied. Then she looked at the newcomer. "And thanks a lot for saving Riza's life."  
"That was nothing. We all gotta stand up together in this, right?" the digimon said.  
"I wouldn't agree more...Darius..." AtmaRyumon suddenly spoke.  
The two Bio-Merged Tamers reacted with some shock. "What?!?"  
"He's a Bio-Merge digimon...I can feel that." OrahAngewomon confirmed.  
"And I was already well aware of what digimon partner you now had Darius. Monodramon, whose evolutionary path can indeed lead up to the heroic...Justimon..." AtmaRyumon spoke.

Justimon lowered his head slightly. "Man...you already had it figured out, did you Regan?" he said. "Can't believe the old dragon was right."  
"Korialstrasz?" OrahAngewomon asked. "What did he do?"  
"He's been giving out power to pretty much every digimon in the whole city. Yeah, he made me and Monodramon 'Bio-Merge' as he says. Can't believe how it feels...and how you guys could do that too..."  
"Sure is something eh?" EosSandhyamon said.  
AtmaRyumon came up to the Bio-Merged Tamers, before putting his hands on one of their shoulders. Breifly, both Kylee and Riza felt a bit of warm before realizing AtmaRyumon had just healed them out a bit.  
"It's as much as I can spare." AtmaRyumon said. "But it should let you go a long way still."  
"Bah, no worries Regan, we'll be way better than fine now." EosSandhyamon said.  
"Easy for you to say...You certainly didn't got hit by those...hounds..." AmaKaisermon said with a wince.  
"Darius, why are you here anyway?" OrahAngewomon asked.  
"The dragon sent me here to help you." Justimon answered. "Like I said, he's been empowering pretty much all digimon in the whole city to fight back against those demons. He's risen up the whole city to stand against them!"  
"So Korialstrasz did it. We were able to give him long enough time so he'd rise up proper resistance against the Legion..." AtmaRyumon said with a bit of a smile, which quickly faded. "But it's not over yet. We're not even sure we'll win yet."  
"Yeah, that's kinda why I came up." Justimon said. "Although I actually kinda sped up on the others."  
"Others?" OrahAngewomon asked.

"Terra Force!" A huge fireball went flying above their heads before it exploded right in the ranks of the reorganizing demons and fel digimon.  
And looking back, the Bio-Merged saw not just one digimon, but two familiar ones coming up...along with some very familiar Tamers with them...

WarGreymon...and Angewomon...  
Both ridden by familiar faces indeed...Reynold and Catherine Estar, Regan and Kari's alternate selves of that reality.

"Y-You guys..." AtmaRyumon spoke, somewhat surprised.  
"Yeah...us..." Reynold said...sounding troubled...but there was something else about his tone and the way he looked at Atma and Orah...

Then Atma and Orah realized what it was : They knew. They knew who they really were.

"So...you know...don't you?" OrahAngewomon asked.  
"Yeah...Well...as far as that big dragon told us..." Reynold said, looking a bit confused. "Being...'other us'..." he added.  
"And you really are...Kari Kamiya..." Catherine said, gazing at OrahAngewomon in amazement.  
OrahAngewomon approached her 'other self', before bringing down a knee in front of her, approaching their faces from each other.  
"But you already knew that...didn't you?" OrahAngewomon asked.  
"...Y-Yeah..." Catherine answered, looking a bit shy. "I was kinda thinking out you were the real Kari, from the way you were acting about what I said when we first met..."  
"Guess we kinda know ourselves too well...don't we?" OrahAngewomon spoke with a bit of a smile, which made giggle Catherine on a light note, which made the others smile.

But AtmaRyumon's smile faded quickly. "As much as this is heartening to hear, we still have much to do. Did you brought out more word from Korialstrasz? Does he has something else for us?"  
"Yes." Justimon said. "He wanted us to replace you here. A few more Tamers and digimon will be coming up here. But in the meantime, he wants the four of you to go stop the invasion at its source."  
"Source?" AmaKaisermon asked.  
"He wants us to go back to where the portal opened...The park..." OrahAngewomon said.  
"The dragon said that whoever is leading those demon monsters and those weird digimon has to be there." Reynold added. "And he said he believed you four could deal with whatever it is."  
"Are you guys gonna be okay without us?" EosSandhyamon asked.  
"Don't worry too much. We'll be okay." Justimon replied.  
"We'll be keeping an eye out." The Wargreymon added.  
"And we'll be careful of our partners too." The Angewomon also added.

A large shadow soon passed overhead, causing everyone to look upward to gaze at the massive Korialstrasz bearing down from the skies as he unleashed an inferno upon the demonic forces near them, then he turned around, flying overhead the children and digimon again, and at the same moment, the Four Bio-Merged could feel their strength energized, no doubt the dragon's work.

"Hurry at once, Tamers and Digidestined! We may have little time left!" the dragon roared at them, flying away to assist another flank elsewhere.

"Alright then..." AtmaRyumon spoke. He looked at the other three. "You guys are ready?"  
"Ready Regan." OrahAngewomon answered.  
"Ready as I'll ever be." AmaKaisermon replied.  
"I'm good to go! Let's go kick that demon's ass!" EosSandhyamon added.

And all together, the four took off to the skies, going toward what once was the central park...

"Good luck!" Justimon shouted.  
"We're counting on you!" Reynold yelled.  
"We're all believing in you Kari! We'll be with you as well!" Catherine shouted as well.

---

"_Has a decision been taken?"  
"__**Yes."  
**__**"We shall bring forth assistance. I shall deal with this matter myself."**__  
__"So shall it be..."_

---

And on and on they flew...Soaring above the countless ranks of ground demons.  
Fortunately, while they posed no current threat, there were still some demons and Fel Digimon who detached themselves from the ground, taking off to the skies to go after the Bio-Merged.

But most of them were easy to handle, more often gunned or shot down from the skies before they could get to any of the four Bio-Merged.

"Don't get too comfortable!" AtmaRyumon warned out. "I'm sure they'll have something ready for us sooner or later!"

Soon enough indeed, that warning came true, in the form of several Infernals coming down from the skies. Fortunately though, they were quickly avoided, and a few of them were even blasted apart on the way

And before any more assaults could come upon them, the four Bio-Merged sped up, quickly bringing them closer to the now-dead park.

AtmaRyumon was the first to go down, slowly landing on the ground as he carefully eyed the landscape, as the other three followed him.

"This seemed...too easy..." OrahAngewomon commented.  
"You thought that too?" AtmaRyumon asked.  
"Now that you mention it, it didn't seemed so hard to get here..." AmaKaisermon said.  
"So what? Does it mean we're walking in a trap right now?" EosSandhyamon asked.

"Can't say..." AtmaRyumon answered. "But we have to go on...Even if something's not right...

...It all seems far too familiar..." he added.  
"Familiar?" OrahAngewomon asked.

Before AtmaRyumon could answer, a green light suddenly sparked before them, before it started to stretch itself and grow.

The four Bio-Merged quickly brought themselves in a battle stance, standing ready to face whatever horror the Legion was going to unleash at them...  
They weren't going to give up now...

The light continued to expand, growing about the size of one of the Bio-Merge, before it suddenly faded away, revealing out a silhouette that became more and more visible...

Before them stood a humanoid that, at first glance, looked much like one of the Fel Guards, but at the same time, was not one.

He had a short reptilian tail trailing behind him and was covered in far more ornate armor than a Fel Guard. It was also wearing a black and dark greenish robe over its armor, and lacked the horns that Fel Guards had, although stranger markings were present on the head itself.

And this new demon stared at the digimon with green flaming eyes that revealed much more intelligence and cunning than any demons they had seen so far...  
Surely...it had to be the leader.

"No...it can't be..." AtmaRyumon muttered, eyes widening.  
The demon's eyes narrowed, before its fanged mouth opened in what seemed to be a grin.  
"That voice is different...but remains much the same...It seems you did not forget me, little guardian..." the demon spoke, in a surprisingly smooth voice.  
"Lizomon...You know him?!?" OrahAngwomon asked.  
"Yes..." AtmaRyumon hissed. "He is Erizonar! The same demon lord that commanded the invasion of the True Digital World over 10,000 years ago!!!"

"What?!?" spoke at once the other three Bio-Merged in shock.  
The demon only chuckled at that, slowly crossing his arms over its exposed chest.  
"This digital one speaks the truth...

We met, a long time ago..." the demon Erizonar spoke, still smiling, but a certain tone of contempt was easily heard in his voice.

"But...it doesn't make sense..." EosSandhyamon said. "Lizomon beat you! He sacrificed himself back then to blast you!!!"  
"Yes...He did destroyed me..." Erizonar replied, the smile all but gone. "Yet somehow, my soul endured...although I was utterly trapped in an endless void, unable to do anything, much less reach out to my lords..."  
"Hold on...Would that mean, that Lizomon's last attack back then..." AmaKaisermon spoke.  
"...Actually sent _both_ Lizomon and that demon into some limbo?!?" OrahAngewomon finished.  
"Doesn't look like you were able to get out of it then." AtmaRyumon spoke out with some contempt. "Yet how were you able to escape that then, if you were powerless?"

"I actually owe my new existence and freedom to a rather...interesting being...  
A powerful being that apparently had been in several confrontations with yourself, little digital guardian...You and a little mortal that apparently is the vessel of a great power..." Erizonar replied.

AtmaRyumon almost gaped, realizing the shocking truth. "Ragnarok!!! He somehow found and released you?!?"  
"That is apparently the name he often goes by. He appreciate its meaning very well...and I could see why..." the demon answered, the dark smile coming back on his face.

The other three Bio-Merged were as shocked as AtmaRyumon. Ragnarok had actually freed that demon?!?

"Yet...how did you ended up attacking this place...unless you've been plotting with him!!!" AtmaRyumon added up.  
"Clever..." Erizonar spoke. "In fact...I have offered my allegiance to him instead of the Legion..."  
"You WHAT?!?"  
"Yes..." Erizonar added, burning eyes closing. "The Legion had already considered me to be no more since quite long...And this 'Ragnarok'...He is unexpectedly potent. Quite a powerful and cunning creature. He could achieve some great goals indeed...

He offered me not just freedom...but revenge...

Revenge against the one who had imprisoned me so!  
This entire army was raised thanks to the efforts of my new master! He brought back most of my own destroyed army back into strength once more!

And this time, little digital guardian...We shall not be stopped.  
No...The _Ragnarok Legion_ will succeed..." Erizonar finished, smiling cunningly.

AtmaRyumon had enough. With a roar, he charged straight at the demon warlock.  
Green flames erupted from Erizonar's hands before he raised them, as AtmaRyumon swung out his sword.

Sword and flaming hands clashed together, before the digimon and the demon struggled against each other.

And soon after, the other three digimon quickly charged forward, joining up with AtmaRyumon.

As soon as the others neared, Erizonar quickly pulled back from AtmaRyumon, before raising his burning hands straight at the digimon, launching out multiple greenish fireballs toward all four of them.

AtmaRyumon quickly raised his shield, blocking several of the fireballs while the other digimon dodged the remaining ones.

The warlock rose his hands again, before greenish flame pillars erupted around him before they snaked in the skies, then went down straight at each of the digimon. Fortunately, they were quick to avoid this additional attack.

"Our turn! White Flame Wave!" AtmaRyumon yelled before breathing out a blast of white flames toward the demon.  
"Celestial Strike!" OrahAngewomon shouted, her wings wide opened and glowing, as blasts of light were unleashed, aimed at the demon.  
"Tempest Rend!"  
"Twilight Blaster!" yelled out the other two Bio-Merged digimon as they unleashed a cutting wave along with a black and white energy shot aimed at Erizonar.

The demon warlock quickly pulled back before he raised his hands, summoning out a fiery green shield surrounding himself, which quickly took on the oncoming barrage of attacks, leaving Erizonar unscathed, and darkly grinning.

He quickly dismissed his shield before holding out one hand straight toward the digimon, launching out a series of green lightning bolts at them.

The digimon quickly separated to avoid the attacks as best as possible, as Erizonar now kept launching barrages of lightning on and on while all four digimon now spun and moved around him in a macabre ballet.

AtmaRyumon was the first to break the stand again, rushing toward Erizonar before he slashed out with the glowing Atma Blade. However as the sword neared, the demon suddenly vanished in a blaze of green flames, only to reappear at AtmaRyumon's side, one clawed hand stretched out.

AtmaRyumon barely had time to bring out his shield just as Erizonar struck, sending out a powerful flame fist which almost sent the dragon knight flying backward as he stood up to the attack.

A fierce wind however suddenly blew Erizonar back as well, before AmaKaisermon dived in, and swung his sword at the demon, who narrowly brought up yet another shield to block the attack, before he quickly summoned up a dark wind of his own, forcing AmaKaisermon back.

But before he could continue his assault on AmaKaisermon, a golden arrow suddenly struck the demon's back, exploding upon impact, and almost sending the demon to its knees. However he quickly rose up, and glared with angered fiery eyes toward his latest attacker : the angelic OrahAngewomon who obviously looked concerned her attack didn't brought down Erizonar.

And the warlock had to thank its own protective spells for that. He quickly gestured at OrahAngewomon, which replied out by bringing her arms in a defensive posture, as a glowing golden shield appeared around her, blocking whatever attack the warlock had intended for her. In rage, Erizonar quickly made a grasping gesture following a throwing one.

That somewhat made OrahAngewomon confused...until she received a dead burnt tree in the face, thrown from the side by the demon's sorcery.

A wild yell suddenly erupted before volleys of bullets came flying down upon the demon, forcing him to leap back to avoid them as EosSandhyamon came landing down.

Before Erizonar could strike back, EosSandhyamon quickly lashed out at him with her claws, almost reaching out the demon's face, who closely avoided the slash, only to notice that the fallen angel had been charging a blast with her gun, which she fired straight toward the warlock.

The dark blast struck head on, however a brief green fiery flare manifested itself in front of Erizonar, proof he managed to conjure up some sort of weak shield to partly block the blast as he slid further backward, anger visible in his traits.

He held one hand straight toward EosSandhyamon, which quickly sought to shield herself, but wasn't fast enough as an invisible wave suddenly struck her, launching her backward.

That however didn't prevented her from righting herself, as the other three Bio-Merged quickly formed up near her, ready to strike again.

"Foul insects..." Erizonar muttered. "You cannot hope to defeat me!"  
And with that he started to mutter up dark words, eyes alight with power.

But the moment he started his attack, AtmaRyumon's eyes widened.

"No...That's..." he started.  
"What?" OrahAngewomon asked.  
"Just like before!" AtmaRyumon yelled, before he charged toward Erizonar, his shield raised.

"_Before?"_ Kari thought.

Then it dawned on her, barely remembering at the moment that details from Lizomon's old stories...

...how he had lost his entire kind...

"_That same attack Erizonar used to single-handedly eradicate all Lizomons and Ryumons that were with Guardian MetalRyumon!!!"_

"Shield yourselves!" OrahAngewomon yelled.

And before AtmaRyumon could reach the demon warlock, Erizonar raised his hand.

A withering blast of white and greenish flames were unleashed in all directions around the demon, overwhelming everything in sight...

---

Another demon went down, cut in two by Justimon's Vulcan Sword, before the ground suddenly shook, and he found himself looking toward behind the enemy lines...and saw the enormous flames unleashed...right where the other four were supposed to be...

And he wasn't the only one that had noticed. Both Reynold and Catherine had seen it as well.

"Kari..." Catherine muttered worryingly.

---

Another wave of demon went down, bathed by the flames of the red dragon Korialstrasz as he continued his own work in the defense of that world.  
For all the of Legion's power, most of their minions could not withstand the pure might of a dragon, especially not one like Korialstrasz.

Then he felt it, before he looked straight toward the central park of that city, and saw the enormous fount of demonic flames unleashed, washing over the entire park.

And Korialstrasz remained silent as he stared...

Everything was in their hands now...

Theirs...and the others...

---

AtmaRyumon slowly moved away his shield, grunting with effort. The attempt of shielding himself against that attack had taken out a far greater strain than he would have fought possible...And he most likely had to thank Erizonar's cursed foul magic for that.

"Guys?" he asked, only risking one slight glance behind him, unwilling to really let Erizonar slip away from his gaze.

"Still...here..." OrahAngewomon replied. She too appeared strained, but there was no doubt she had held her own against the attack.  
"We're not down...yet..." AmaKaisermon added.  
"Yeah...Don't count us out...This ain't over." EosSandhyamon said as well.

AtmaRyumon could feel it. They had all been strained in attempting to shield themselves. And unfortunately, AtmaRyumon himself had actually been unable to protect the others with his shield...which only increased Regan's own frustration.

"You shouldn't underestimate us Erizonar. We're far from being like the army I had last time...but we can far better than my former brethren..." AtmaRyumon stated.

"That remains to be seen." Erizonar stated, his arms crossed...and on a far too calm tone.  
There was still something else, AtmaRyumon was certain of it. Erizonar couldn't be that calm and confident if he still had something else in mind.

"We'll...end this..." OrahAngewomon started, making one step forward...but then, she hesitated...before partly making a step backward...and fell on the ground, before glowing and separating back into an unconscious Kari and Gatomon, looking battered.

The other Bio-Merged looked at their fallen partner with some shock...before AtmaRyumon saw AmaKaisermon fall on a knee...and collapse as well, before reverting back to Riza and Veemon, unconscious and battered as well.

And EosSandhyamon...AtmaRyumon could see his gritted teeth, straining, as she slowly raised her gun...with a shaking arm, clearly trying to get a shot...

...A shot that never came...as she too collapsed, and reverted back to an unconscious Kylee and Impmon, battered as much as their fallen comrades.

"_No...NO!!!"_ Regan yelled. "_Kari! Riza! Kylee! No...You can't..."_

"It seems it has come to this yet again, little Digital Warrior..." Erizonar stated calmly. "Once again, whatever allies you had were worthless...but only you could still withstand my might..."

"In the end...  
You had only delayed the inevitable, digital monster warrior." Erizonar added.

Lizomon growled. He was angered, more so than he ever was before. This should have never happened...Erizonar should had been dealt with so long ago.

And it was his task, his duty to do it...

"_Regan, I'll take it from here."_ Lizomon said to Regan.  
"_Wait, what?"_ Regan asked, confusedly.

AtmaRyumon suddenly glowed...before Regan suddenly found himself on the ground...with MetalRyumon standing right in front of him.

"Lizomon, what are you doing?!?" Regan yelled.  
"Finishing what I should have ended so long ago..." MetalRyumon replied, his cold gaze fixed on Erizonar, who now grinned straight at the metallic dragon.

Erizonar chuckled. "Ironic it seems...We are repeating our last confrontation...but this time...the outcome shall be in my favour..."

MetalRyumon roared before he charged at the demon, guns blazing.

For a short moment Regan stood transfixed, before he quickly snapped out, and went straight for his fallen friends.

"Kari...Kari! Guys, come on!" Regan said, grasping Kari gently, yet getting no answer from her.

Regan looked uncertainly at all of them...before he looked down at his right hand.  
No...they couldn't be dead. He was certain of that...He would have _felt_ if it was the case...

Gritting his teeth, Regan closed his right hand, before bringing it to his heart, and closed his eyes, seeking to focus his mind...

Then his hand glowed, before a faded red glow suddenly flowed all over the other children and digimon, before Regan fell to the ground, almost collapsing from the effort...  
Attempting to simultaneously heal so many people in such a critical condition, using only his own strength as the mean to heal them, took almost too much from Regan.

"_We can't just fail...not now..."_ Regan desperately thought, gasping.

A groan came from Kari, as she started to stir up.  
"Kari! Come on..." Regan said.  
"Uhhh...Regan?" Kari opened her eyes weakly, straining to get up. "What...What's going on?"  
"Just what the hell happened?" Riza said as he also struggled to regain consciousness.

And before Kylee could add up something of her own, a large explosion drew away the attention of the children, as they saw the enormous MetalRyumon slide on the ground, before he righted himself.

And with a loud roar, he unleashed a volley of missiles at the demon warlock, who proceeded to cast a protective spell against them.

Erizonar started to prepare some spell to attack, but suddenly the enormous mass of MetalRyumon went straight charging at him, forcing the demon on the defensive again, as he withheld the metal dragon's large paws using both strength and dark magic to hold on.  
But as MetalRyumon kept struggling on, pushing against the warlock, he suddenly opened his mouth, revealing one of his main cannons, which promptly fired straight at the demon, hitting him square, before it allowed MetalRyumon to swat Erizonar away like a fly.

However the demon quickly vanished in a haze of green flames before reappearing upon solid ground before he summoned out several green fireballs, and hurled them upon MetalRyumon.

"That's what's happening right now..." Regan said as he watched his partner take the brunt of the attacks, then retaliate again. "He stopped our Bio-Merge and he went straight up against Erizonar on his own!"

"Ain't he crazy?!?" Impmon said. "How the hell does he think he can stand up to that guy?!?"  
"But why would he really want to keep fighting like that?" Veemon asked.

"...I don't think he gave up." Kari said. The others briefly looked at her.  
"He still wants to fight, to protect us all...And he's willing to do what's needed for that..."  
"What's needed?!?" Regan said, outraged. "Even...even if he might die?!?

We can't let him do that!"

"It's kinda ironic when you think of it..." Gatomon said. "Usually Regan...you're the one that made everyone else worry when you went after Ragnarok...But now...you're the one that is worrying..."

Regan remained silent, troubled. Gatomon was right. Regan was worried for Lizomon. In fact...maybe that's why he was so insisting...

"No...It's not just because he has to do it...I think it's just like me...Revenge..." Regan darkly stated. "Just like me...he doesn't want us to be hurt any longer by Erizonar...just like I never wanted any of you to be hurt by Ragnarok..."  
The others remained silent, as the sound of the battle between the metallic dragon and the demon kept going on.

"Still...it doesn't mean he has to do it alone..." Regan added, his fists held tight. "This isn't just about him and Erizonar...This whole world, and probably even more is at stake!

We've got to help him, in any way we can!!!"

"_**Well said, Child of Life..."**_ a powerful voice suddenly echoed out in the air.

Everyone stopped, even Erizonar and MetalRyumon, as they looked upward, toward where the voice seemed to have been coming from.

And some distance away from the Legion's gate, an emerald green light suddenly flared up to life, before it expanded for a moment, then faded away, revealing out something unlike anyone had possibly imagined...

A dragon.

But this dragon was not red, unlike Korialstrasz and Ragnarastrasz, whom Kylee, Riza and the Digidestined were already familiar with. No, that dragon was of a deep green color...not to mention it actually looked somewhat transparent, as if it was but an illusion, a dream.

Not to mention, that this dragon actually looked much more sleeker and thinner of form compared to either red dragons...which actually led the two Tamers to believe that this dragon actually was female...

But perhaps what truly brought awe to this dragon...was her size.

She was easily twice the size of Korialstrasz, which was already a dragon of considerable proportions. Her wings alone seemed to span for miles. Her gargantuan head however displayed only calm.

And most of all...her eyes were closed.

"...Ysera...The Aspect of Dreams..." Regan muttered, somewhat awed.  
"Y-You mean...This is Ysera?" Kylee said, intimidated.  
"Her true form...yes..." Kari said, clearly awed as well.  
"Hold on...so that means...she's here to save us?!?" Riza said.

"_**This would indeed be a way of putting it, Riza Ryuzaki."**_ The voice of Ysera spoke once more, as the gigantic behemoth kept hovering in the skies.

There was perhaps no doubt that no one in the city wouldn't have noticed her coming.

"No! You won't interfere!" Erizonar yelled, before he brought up a hand toward Ysera, muttering dark words, before series of greenish and dark lightning bolts were hurled from his hand...

...only to harmlessly pass through Ysera as she suddenly grew more hazy in form, then returned to a more 'solid' state.

"_**Your vaunted powers mean nothing to me, Legion spawn..." **_Ysera calmly stated.

A horde of flying Fel digimon suddenly veered for Ysera, however before they coud reach her, she turned her head and closed gaze at them.  
They suddenly all stopped...before starting to slaughter each and every of themselves...all trapped in dark daydreams which the Aspect of Dreams had put in their minds. Those Fel Digimon only saw the enemies among themselves...and gladly went to destroy themselves in the process...

"My gosh..." Kylee muttered. "That's the power of an Aspect?"  
"She's...like...god-like!" Riza said. "No demons or digimon is gonna be able to beat her now!"  
"I'm sure if Ysera really intended to single-handedly destroy every demons and Fel digimon that were here...she would have done so already..." Regan said. "I can somewhat recall that apparently, she held a deep hatred for the Legion...because they killed some of those she cared for most..."  
"So then...Why is she just standing there?"

"_**Because I have come, to bring an end to this nightmare, to bring you hope...but not by myself..."**_ Ysera spoke, before her eyes suddenly opened.

Emerald orbs could be briefly seen before they suddenly flared, and literally projected green beams of light, aimed straight at MetalRyumon.

MetalRyumon was utterly engulfed in the green light...before he was heard screaming.

"MetalRyumon!" Regan yelled. "Are you okay?"

The screaming ceased, along with the light from Ysera, who had her eyes closed again.

"_**And now...the forgotten has returned..." **_She spoke. "_**Arise once more, you who had been forgotten within the darkness of oblivion...**_

_**Arise, grand defender of your world...**_

_**Arise...**_

___**Alpha, Guardian MetalRyumon**__**!!!**_**"**

A giant pure golden glow of light flared out, blinding everyone for a moment, before the children and their digimon were finally able to see...and when they looked toward Erizonar and his digimon adversary...

They saw a titan stood against the demon.

A dragon-like digimon who was indeed very reminiscent of MetalRyumon, only he stood on two legs, yet kept himself in a hunched position.

The digimon's horn upon his head were much longer, as were his tail, and not to mention a greater wingspan. And that digimon's armor was much more golden than the original gray color scheme the children were familiar with.

Alpha...the one who was known as..._Guardian MetalRyumon_. The last of the Ancient Guardians of the True Digital World...and he had now returned to bring an end to this invasion.

"And I thought MetalRyumon was already scary enough..." Riza muttered, looking intimidated at the much _larger_ Guardian version of the original digimon.

The Guardian digimon then raised his head to the skies before he let loose an earth-shattering roar of tremendous proportions.

His back briefly flared with golden lights, before series of large twin cannons appeared upon his back.

He held his head aimed straight to the skies, at the Legion's gateway, before his mouth started to glow...and a beam of pure golden light was suddenly unleashed from his mouth, going straight at the portal...

And when it struck, the gateway was engulfed in a titanic explosion...before nothing of it remained...

Guardian MetalRyumon then opened his large wings, before he slowly started to hover in the skies, before his cannons turned around...and let loose hundreds of small golden projectiles of light, energy trailing behind them like comets, before they all started to scatter throughout the entire city...all of them heading straight for demons and Fel Digimon.

And wherever those lights struck, they utterly ripped through Demons and Fel Digimon alike as if they were nothing. The light projectiles struck as if angry fireflies, literally ripping holes in their victims as they struck.

From their vantage point, Reynold, Catherine, Justimon, Angewomon and Wargreymon could see the demon horde being utterly destroyed by this golden titanic dragon. There was nothing the demons could do to escape the lights.

And flying over the cities, Korialstrasz also watched the dozens of lights that started to unleash a rampage in the cities, utterly destroying the invasion.

He gazed toward the Aspect of Dreams, still calmly hovering in the skies, before he looked toward the revived Guardian Digimon...and frowned.

Guardian MetalRyumon unleashed yet another roar, before his mouth glowed with light again...but this time, he aimed it straight at the ground below him...and fired.

"Watch out!" Regan yelled. And he and his friends all went down, hoping to avoid the oncoming blast.

The beam struck the ground...before it unelashed an enormous golden shockwave which spread throughout the entire city...Yet when it passed through humans and normal digimon...nothing happened.

But when the shockwave struck demons and Fel digimon...they were utterly burned, incinerated to ashes, nothing left of them as the attack utterly disintegrated them.

And everywhere, humans and digimon all looked with awe at this unsuspecting savior.

Regan, Kari, Kylee, Riza, Impmon, Veemon and Gatomon all raised themselves up, looking with some uncertainties as they just realized what Lizomon...or rather Guardian MetalRyumon had just done.

He had utterly, single-handedly wiped out the entire Legion invasion, with but a few attacks.

...all save for one.

Erizonar, covered in a green flaming shield, held a ferocious expression as he gazed at the golden dragon which started to descend, and land on the ground.  
The demon then dispelled his shield, before he started to walk toward the Guardian, his expression fierce.

But as he neared...he started to grow in size...becoming a giant as well...until he rivalled Guardian MetalRyumon in size.

Guardian MetalRyumon's glowing golden eyes only glared back at its nemesis, before he unleashed another roar, and charged straight at the demon.

The giant demon met him head on, his hands held forward as the golden titan crashed into him, forcing them both backward as their feet dragged out large trenches in the ground.

Erizonar then pushed back Guardian Metalryumon, who simply righted himself before aiming his cannons toward his enemy, who replied by pointing one hand toward the other.

Golden beams and dark lightning met head on, exploding in a flurry of raw power.

Thunder and roars were unleashed as the two giants continued their struggle, using both ranged and physical blows at each other. Red lines with golden sparks could be seen where the demon had raked the golden dragon with his claws and magic, while golden dots of light from which emerged out green flames marked where the demon's skin had been struck by the attacks of Guardian MetalRyumon.

Guardian MetalRyumon once again slammed his way into his adversary, sending both of them utterly crashing into a nearby building which collapsed when the two titans rammed into it.

"Come on Lizomon...you can do it!" Impmon said.  
"Kick that demon's ass!!!" Kylee yelled.  
"...Regan...are you okay?" Kari asked. She was looking at Regan, who showed an uncertain expression.  
"Is there something wrong Regan?" Riza asked.

"...I can't reach him..." Regan said, worried.  
"Reach who?" Kylee asked.  
"Lizomon." Regan answered. "Both Kari and I have special links with our digimon. These links have appeared since the first time we Bio-Merged. We don't know how and why it's possible...but it just happened.

And with these links, we can actually reach out to the other's mind, even see what the other would be seeing.  
Lizomon could for example, go on scouting, and I would be able to see what he saw, hear what he heard, and speak out to him, even if we're far away...

...But right now...I can't even reach out to him...It's as if there was...no one...As if...he was gone..." Regan finished, concerned.

The others looked uncertainly at the Child of Life. "You're certain of this? You really can't reach out to his mind?" Kari asked.  
"No...I just can't. It's as if...it wasn't Lizomon..."

"_**And it is not."**_ Ysera spoke once more. "_**The mind of the digimon Lizomon has been submerged, as his ancient memories have been awakened.**_

_**Very much alike your own case of yourself, and your dragon self, Child of Life."**_

"What?!?" Regan said, outraged. "You mean you've revived his memories, and now he could be doing the exact same things he did before, ten thousand years ago?!?"

"H-Hold on..." Kylee said. "What if...the same thing would happen all over again?!?"  
"Huh? You mean..." Riza said.  
"Well...if right now, Lizomon is Guardian MetalRyumon...and right now, he's fighting Erizonar...that demon he destroyed to save the True Digital World...  
What if he's gonna do exactly everything that happened like last time?!?"

"Hold on..." Gatomon said. "That would mean..."

"...He may sacrifice himself again to destroy Erizonar." Kari finished.  
"It could be worse..." Regan added, horror growing. "There are stories of how the lands all around the final battle site of Guardian MetalRyumon were utterly scorched and destroyed...which would mean that if the same things are going to happen all over again...

Guardian MetalRyumon might wipe out all of Pheonix City!!!"

"Not to mention...if he somehow survives again...Lizomon's gonna get stuck in limbo probably for thousands of years...and it'll be the same for Erizonar! That cycle will just keeps repeating itself all over again!!!" Gatomon said.

"Oh my gosh..." Kylee muttered, fear gaining her. To say they had been believing Guardian MetalRyumon was going to be their savior...but he could easily be their doom...

"Ysera! You've got to stop this!!!" Regan yelled out to the green Aspect.

"_**I have done more than enough, Child of Life. The rest is in your hands..."**_ the Aspect simply replied, then remained silent as she kept hovering in the skies.

"You can't be serious!!! What are we gonna do?!?" Riza said, scared. "What can we do anymore?!?"

"...We've got to reach out to him. We've got to get to Lizomon, to snap him out, so he can end this once and for all, in a better way!" Regan said.  
"But...even if we do manage to get to him...how will be beat Erizonar? Last time...they were equal in power...and the only way Lizomon was able to beat him...it was by sacrificing himself..."

Silence weighted among the children and digimon, as the two titans kept fighting each other in the background.

Until...another voice spoke up, unexpectedly reaching out in their minds.  
But it wasn't Lizomon...nor Ysera.  
But a familiar voice...

"_Humans and digimon of this world, denizens of this realm, hear me..."_

Korialstrasz...

"_As you all know, evil has come upon your world, an evil of the likes you have never seen before._

_Many among you most likely lost some who were dear to them. Many indeed have fallen to them._

_However, hope came to us...We were able to stand, and fight back._

_But now...it is not over..._

_A great protector of the forgotten past has risen anew to defend your realm against this evil._

_However, alone...it cannot defeat this evil by itself.  
This is why we must all reach out to him! All of us must give him our strength, our spirits, our will to live!_

_We must reach out to him, to show that he is not alone in this battle! That we all stand beside him!_

_Reach out to your hearts, humans and digimon...And together...let our common hearts speak for us to the forgotten guardian..."_

"Korialstrasz..." Regan muttered, realizing that this wasn't just a message sent to them.

The elder dragon had actually reached out to every human and digimon in the city, with a clear intent in mind.

Much alike when Kylee, Riza, Impmon and Veemon had contributed their strength to AtmaRyumon who faced Ragnarok, Korialstrasz intended all denizens of Phoenix City to contribute their strength to Guardian MetalRyumon.

And Regan realized it could do a lot more than that...

"It's our chance!" Regan said. "The chance to reach to Lizomon! That's Korialstrasz's plan! He probably knows what Ysera did to Guardian MetalRyumon, so he just brought up this plan to save us all!!!"  
"Man, he's a genius!" Riza said.  
"But will it work?" Kylee asked.  
"Only one way to find out..." Kari said.

They all looked at each other, humans and digimon, understanding what the elder dragon sought to do.

Very much like how AtmaRyumon was given the needed power from his friends to defeat Ragnarok...  
...Very much like how AtmaRyumon united the strength of all the trapped Tamers within Parallelmon to use it against the digimon...

...This was going to be their final resolve to end this crisis.

The children took out their digivices, and then held them all to their hearts, as their digimon partners also brought up a hand to their own chests, closing their eyes...

At first, nothing happened...

...then, one by one...lights began to form up, appearing out in various parts of the city...  
One light for each human or digimon...They all began to appear in increasing numbers...

"_**And thus...one has remembered to hold upon their dreams..."**_

"_Together..."_ the voice of Korialstrasz spoke again, the ancient red dragon rising in the skies, now glowing with a grand crimson light of his own. "_Let us speak out to the Guardian! Let us tell him we stand with him!!!"_

"Come on Lizomon...You ain't gonna be giving up on life that easily eh? You're a great fighter, and fighting's all you've been doing. But living...that's a fight in its own way...And you're really gonna run away from it like a coward?!? That wouldn't be your way Lizomon! That's what I learned of you! So stand up and fight! We'll be with you all the way!!!" Impmon said.

"You've showed us we could become more than we are Lizomon. You've shown we can defy our own past. So, in that spirit, defy your past again! Defy your death again Lizomon!" Veemon said.

"A warrior. That's what you are Lizomon. But you're also a protector. You hold life with great esteem, and hold honor to everything. Despite how you may have often acted Lizomon, you always respected everyone around you, and just as we learned from you, you learnt from us." Gatomon said. "So don't give up now! Even in the worst times, you know we have to keep fighting for what we believe!!!"

"Lizomon, you've opened to me and my friends a world unlike anything we'd ever dream possible. You've showed us what it meant to stand up to your beliefs. You would always do the best for everyone else, and helped them learn and understand their mistakes, so they'd get stronger...

So come on Lizomon...Keep fighting! We'll be with you! The power of our friendship will keep shining on!!!" Kylee said.

"You're a fighter, but you're also a teacher Lizomon. You've taught us how to be brave, to really stand up to our friends, and to stand with them. You've showed us how with friends, how with your heart, you could stand up to anything!!!

So keep fighting Lizomon!!! We'll also fight with you!!!" Riza said.

"You're a warrior of life Lizomon. That's what you have been protecting all along. But, you've also helped protect the Light against darkness too. You've helped us understand each other better, and see that deep within ourselves, our strength can be greater than you would think. As within all of us Lizomon, a Light will always be shining in our hearts.

So Lizomon, please receive our lights, and may their shine the way to your truth and victory!!!" Kari said.

"You're an ancient warrior, made to kill...and I'm a kid, who first thought he was an ordinary kid...but you've turned my life upside-down Lizomon. You've showed up there was much more to me than I would have ever thought possible.

You've been doing a lot more than just fighting Lizomon. You've been changing all of us. I changed for the better thanks to you. Even if it we often seem to argue against each other on trivial matters, you know that the bonds between us are beyond even gods!

But it's not just that Lizomon. You didn't just changed us. We also changed you. We showed you our world, our ways of life. We've been your friends as you walked this new, confusing world. After all, I'm sure you could admit it...That new world, when you first breathed life again...it had to be confusing, wasn't it?

That's why Lizomon...What we started together...We have to end it together!!!

We're your friends Lizomon, now and always!!!" Regan said, then he started to yell at the top of his lungs "Can you hear us Lizomon?!? Can you hear our cries, our hearts, our will to live?!?

Can you see and hear us?!? If so, please answer us!!! We're with you, we'll bear this burden, this sin with you!!!"

Lights all over the city kept surging on...along with lights coming from each of the four children, and their digimon.

And then the elder dragon raised his wings one final time...before all the lights rised up in the skies...uniting with his own red aura...then this grand pure golden light went rocketing straight toward Guardian MetalRyumon, who had been knocked back on the ground.

As the light struck...Alpha let out a tremendous soul-shaking roar...

"_...Regan?"_ the voice of Lizomon spoke. It sounded...different...older, more ancient.  
"_Lizomon?!? You've heard us!!!"_ Regan thought back.

Then their surroundings faded to black...leaving only the Child of Life, facing the grand Guardian.

"_I've heard it...all of you..."_ the digimon spoke. He then lowered his head. "_I'm sorry...this was my entire fault..."_

"_There was no way you could know that Erizonar would have survived Lizomon! You did what you thought was the best thing back then!!! But now things changed! You've got to do something else!_

_And that's why we want to help you!!!"_ Regan replied back.

"_Much in the manner of your own insistence to deal with Ragnarok?"_ Guardian MetalRyumon asked darkly.  
That made Regan pause.

"_...Kinda...I'd guess..."_ Regan finally answered after a moment.

"_Humpf...I was made to be the perfect war machine...and it seemed that in the end...I wasn't so perfect after all...But then...is there anything that really is perfect?"_ the digimon spoke.

"_Let us help you Lizomon! That's the least we can do!"_ Regan replied.

"_...There may be a difference compared to our cases Regan...It's true, Erizonar isn't something I expected to be...The same should be said of the coming of Ragnarok. It never was your fault."_ Guardian MetalRyumon said.

That made Regan somewhat darken.

"_But the difference is that I can accept it...But you still don't, even today. You're definitively are a stubborn one Regan...And that's what I've been trying to curb in quite a while..."_ the Ancient Guardian spoke with a chuckle.

"_Ragnarok...it's different...I..created him...I have to deal with this..."_ Regan said.

"_Trust me kiddo, there's still a lot you don't seem to get. But I can tell you that Ragnarok ain't your fault, whatever what you'd think. You're too kind to ever be that monster that he is._

_And that's why you deserved to be helped Regan. That's why you must be helped to deal with him, once and for all._

_I hope you'll be able to learn that lesson to heart, boy."_ Guardian MetalRyumon said, smiling.

"_Hold on, what are you gonna do?"_ Regan asked.

"_Put an end to this, once and for all. I've started this atrocious cycle...so I'll end it._

_Regan...Thanks..._

_...For everything."_

"Lizomon!!!" Regan screamed out, but the Guardian vanished, and Regan unexpectedly found himself aside his friends again.

"You got to him?" Kari asked worryingly.  
"Y-Yeah..." Regan said, uncertain. "But...I don't know what he'll do now..."

Guardian MetalRyumon rose up, standing strong once more, and now glowing of a strong aura.

"Erizonar, this obscenity should have never come to pass...I'd say it's time we end this all...

Time to bring an end to this nightmare...and send you back where you belong...in my memories!!!" Guardian MetalRyumon spoke out.

"This will never come to pass!" Erizonar replied, having partly lost some of his composure, however he quickly gestured at the Guardian once more, summoning out dark flames that utterly surrounded the digimon, seeking to utterly consume him.

However the flames were unexpectedly blown away, merely by the digimon's sheer will.

"As I said, we end this now." Guardian MetalRyumon said.

"I am Alpha, the first of all Lizomons...And I am the last of the Ancient Guardians. Thus, I am Guardian Lizomon.

However, I am more! I am Lizomon, partner to the Child of Life. With him I stand as a warrior again, to protect the True Digital World and more! I will be, and always be both Guardian and partner!" he spoke out strongly, opening his wings to their full length.

And then he took off to the skies, glowing out of a mighty light.

Erizonar spoke out strange words...perhaps some sort of alien curse...

At the apex of his flight, Guardian MetalRyumon ceased his ascent...and stopped, before he literally exploded in light.

"Soul of the Guardian!!!" he yelled. And he dove down, exploding with power and energy, in the form of a giant golden comet, which rocketed straight toward Erizonar, far far too fast for the demon to be able to escape.

And as the comet neared, a final curse and dark scream escaped the demon.

"Get down!!!" someone yelled out to Regan and the others, quickly forcing them downward.

The meteor struck.

An overwhelming blast of light began to spread out, to overwhelm everything...

Even with his eyes closed, holding to the ground tightly, Regan could still see the light...as he was overwhelmed by it...

---

"_It is done...Another chapter...nearing its completion..."_

---

"Uhhhh..." Regan finally started to stir up. His whole body ached, for a reason he couldn't explain himself.

As he finally started to raise his head, and sought to look around, he saw only darkness around him...  
...or rather, a darkness with a certain tint of red...from a giant leathery wing...

A series of heavy labored breathing could also be heard as the wing finally removed itself, showing out that Korialstrasz had come up to the Digidestined and Tamers in the end, with the intention of shielding them as best as he could.

"...Korialstrasz?" Regan said, a bit dumbfounded.  
"Are you well?" the dragon said, keeping a calm composure, despite whatever strain he could have suffered.  
Additional movement to Regan's side caught his gaze, as he saw the others stirring up from unconsciousness as well.

"What...just happened?" Kari muttered, holding her head.  
"All I remember was that light...It was so strong..." Kylee said, trying to sit up.  
"Kra-Korisas-hem anyway, what happened?" Riza said, fumbling himself in the name of the ancient dragon.

"I suspect you would seek to see for yourself..." Korialstrasz answered as he fully removed his wings from the children and their digimon, before stepping back slightly...

And the eyes of the children and digimon widened.

The park was utterly desolated, covered only in ruins. Several buildings around had also been reduced to rubbles...

...Yet, most of the city, as far as they could see...was intact.

"The Guardian has accomplished his task in the manner he sought to do..." another voice spoke out...quite familiar as well.

The Digidestined, Tamers and digimon rose up, and looked to their left to see a tall, slim figure walking toward them.

Clad in a faint green dress, and almost looking phantomatic, and eyes always closed, Ysera calmly strode toward the humans and digimon.

"You truly are to be commended, children." Ysera spoke. "The same can be said of you, Wiseful One."

"Lady of Dreams..." Korialstrasz replied out with a polite bow of the head.

"So...it's over...all of it?" Kylee said.  
"Correct..." Ysera answered. "The threat of the Legion is no more."  
"Hold on...what about Lizomon!!!" Regan said, panicked. "He can't be dead!"  
"He did what had to be done, child of Life." Ysera said undisturbed.  
"You can't be telling that he's..." Kari said, almost horrified.  
"He wouldn't dare..." Regan said, his head falling, fists tightening. "You can't dare to say he's dead!!!" Regan screamed.

Ysera remained unfazed by Regan's anger. "You should seek to gaze with more than merely your eyes, child of Life." She said.

That made Regan confused. The Aspect then pointed at her digivice...which was constantly letting out a beeping sound.

"The digivice...does it means..." Regan said, turning around, trying to locate the signal...  
Then he ran toward a pile of rubble...which actually stirred when he neared it.

"Could it be?!?" Riza said. "He's alive?"  
"Quick, help me!" Regan said, grabbing upon the nearest rock. The others quickly joined him, as they started to help clear the debris...

...until the sight of a small orangish dragon greeted their eyes, looking battered, bruised, burnt in more ways than they could imagine...yet showing out a strong, arrogant smirk.

"Come on Regan...I wouldn't be THAT much of a bastard, would I?" Lizomon said.  
"...D...DAMN YOU!!!" Regan cursed out, in a mix of anger and happiness, and actually pulled Lizomon out of the rubbles, before holding him tightly...before almost hitting his partner square in the jaw.

"You damn idiot...don't you ever dare do that again!!!" Regan said, still caught between anger and happiness...along with a few tears at the corners of his eyes.  
"Aww...are these tears you've got there Regan?" Lizomon teased out.  
"S-Shut up, it's nothing." Regan said, dropping Lizomon on the ground before wiping out his eyes with the sleeve of his cloak.

"I'd say they're happy." Kylee said with a smile.  
"Partners are reunited, after a brush with death..." Kari said with a smile of her own, which then faded somewhat. "Ysera..it is all over then...right?" she asked, looking at the Aspect.

"It is." Ysera answered. "I believe it was delayed long enough now, wasn't it?"  
"You mean...you guys are leaving...right?" Riza said.  
Kari looked sadly at Gatomon, who exchanged a similar look, while Regan and Lizomon also looked at each other with a saddened look.  
"I'm afraid so, kid." Lizomon said.

"Sadly as fun as it all was, all good things must come to an end sometimes...Although I wouldn't say it'd really be the end of everything about that..." the dragon digimon added.

"Is it a promise, Agumon-ripoff?" Impmon replied out, tauntingly.  
"Consider it to be one indeed, wannabe-pro." Lizomon spoke back with a taunting grin.  
Then they both brought up a fist to the other, which then held proudly.

"That is kinda true..." Regan said. "He never got that rematch."  
"Well...I guess it'll be next time?" Kylee said.  
"Guess so." Regan said.  
"Things won't really be the same without you around, Regan." Riza said.  
"Heh, and what should I say about this, eh Riza?" Regan said with a smile. "Things won't really be the same either for me!"  
The three then hugged each other.

"As much as it's nice to see that friendship you have, I wouldn't really want to feel too left out..." Kari said with a small smile.  
"Nah, you're with us too Kari." Kylee said. "It was awesome while it lasted, being with a 'cartoon hero' like you."  
"Thanks." Kari said, smiling.  
"Well...I guess that in all...you weren't exactly all like we thought you were..." Riza said.  
"And I wonder what you could have been thinking of me..." Kari replied with a somewhat teasing smile.  
"You know...you never answered that question Kari...

So, who do you like? Davis or Tk?" Kylee said with a wink.

For a moment, Kari blushed, although she somewhat caught herself, still with some red of her cheeks.  
"I think I'll decide of who I really like on my own..." she said, slightly looking at Regan with a glance that made him somewhat feel uncertain...and most likely blushing.

A small cough came from the red dragon, who had been patiently waiting. "I believe we should take our leave soon now." Korialstrasz said.

"Right, right, almost done." Regan said. "A few more minutes."

He looked at the Tamers again, and hugged the pair once more. "Take care of yourselves, guys." He said, closing his eyes...and the two Tamers could also see some tears coming out of his eyes.  
They briefly returned the hug as well. "And make sure you take care of your girlfriend too!" Kylee said happily.  
"Who's my girlfriend?!?" Regan replied outragedly, which made the others laugh, Kari included, although with some bit of blush on her cheeks.

"Make sure to keep Impmon in check." Gatomon said to Veemon.  
"Don't worry, I'll be able to deal with that." He said. "It was a pleasure meeting you Gatomon." He said proudly, extending a hand, which the cat digimon took, and shook.

"Keep an eye out on these shorty lovebirds, will ya Impy?" Lizomon spoke out to Impmon, on a somewhat cunning tone, which of course did not helped the two Tamers.  
"And you make sure that these two gets together, right?" Impmon said on the same tone.  
Lizomon looked at Regan and Kari with a long smile that obviously said more than enough...and more than enough to make the pair uneasy.  
"You can be sure of that." He replied to Impmon.

But before any other sort of 'confrontation' could be issued, Korialstrasz once again reminded the Digidestined and their partners of their need to leave. And with somewhat heavy hearts, the children and their partner started to climb upon the dragon's back.

"Hum...Ysera?" Kylee suddenly asked the Aspect, looking a bit uncertain.  
"What would it be?" the Aspect replied.  
"Back then...the memories of people...I mean...last time Regan was here, people first knew and remembered about what happened...then, they all seemed to have forgot, except us.

You're the one who did that to everyone, right? You changed everyone memories' except ours, right?"

Ysera remained silent for a moment. "Yes...it was my doing." She answered. "It was deemed necessary to be done."

"You're going to do it again, aren't you?" Kylee asked.  
"Correct." Ysera stated. "I'm afraid that with all those events, it will be a necessary act to take."

Kylee held her hands down together, looking a bit uncertain. "Could you...do it like last time...And no do anything to our memories?" she asked, a bit hesitantly.  
The others looked at her with a bit of concern, especially Riza and their partners.  
However, the reason of that request was easily understandable...

"We got to meet great friends, and lived adventures like we'd never dreamed possible. We've cherished some things that I wouldn't want to forget...So please...you can do this, right?" Kylee asked.

The Aspect of Dreams remained silent again, her head slightly tilted as she 'peered' at Kylee.

"I will see to it." She finally answered.

That made Kylee, Riza and their partners relieved, a relief which was also shared by the two Digidestined and their own partners.

"So then...goodbye guys." Riza said.  
"...Goodbye indeed..." Kari replied.  
"We're gonna meet again, okay?" Kylee asked.  
"We'll see to it." Regan replied with a kind smile.

And with that, Ysera started to fade away, as if nothing but an illusion, while Korialstrasz opened his great wings, having ensured that the children and their digimon were safely secured on his back. And with one great beat, he lifted himself in the air, taking off to the skies, before circling the Tamers and their partners one last time, allowing Regan and Kari to wave back at their friends yet another time...

Then the dragon veered higher in the skies, before a flare of blue light coalesced in front of him and took on the shape of a portal, which he head straight in, before it closed upon itself, moments after the dragon went in.

Kylee, Riza, Impmon and Veemon all gazed upward, their eyes still locked upon where their friends had vanished...as a green mist slowly started to gather and spread within all of the city, behind them...

---

Lightning flared in a darkened sky, a sky tainted with blood red colors.  
A sky crowning upon endless ruins and devastation...

Countless ruins graced upon that ruined land, ruins, along with many fires aspread throughout them.

Lightning shook the skies again...before something boomed within the clouds...and a dark meteor suddenly tore apart through the skies, crashing down within the ruins...

And from the crater, a dark form pulled itself out. A large humanoid shape clad in scarred armor, bearing draconic wings and head...

"What news, Chaos?" a voice asked...as the figure of a teenager boy waited patiently at the edge of the crater. A boy covered by a scrapped red cloak and marked with blood upon it.

And with a face mimicking the one of Regan Astrasz...aside from red eyes and gray hairs...

"Your will has been done..." ChaosRyumon spoke, bowing to his master. "The bomb was unleashed, the portal opened...

Your revenge, your Legion was unleashed upon them. It will feed upon them, as you desired..."

"I'm afraid not..." Ragnarok stated, seemingly unfazed. "Erizonar has fallen already."

ChaosRyumon looked partly disappointed, but bowed again to his master. "Let me return, and exact vengeance upon these paltry mortals. I will not fail you, master." The dark digimon spoke.

"That won't be needed..." Ragnarok replied, now smiling as he turned and walked away, gesturing at the digimon to follow him.

"The Aspects have intervened in that matter...just as I knew they would..." the dark boy added. "Trying to go back now would be foolishness, Chaos. Ysera and her ilk will still be around.

And even then...it wouldn't matter..." he added, his smile growing.

"How so?" ChaosRyumon asked.

"Let's just say...that Ysera has granted us, a more...delectable revenge upon our little enemies...and a much more sour victory, than what they would have ever thought possible...  
Of course...only when Regan and Kari will actually realize all of what the Aspect just did..." Ragnarok answered, still smiling...before he bursted out in considerable laugher as he kept walking.

"So...if we are done with these two Tamers...what now master?" ChaosRyumon asked.  
"A new situation has developed elsewhere Chaos. A situation worthy of our attention...

Apparently, there's another little reality that was recently discovered by those little 'Zone Tamers' mongrels...You know, those other little meddlers?" Ragnarok started.  
The digimon remained silent, only listening.  
"It seems that relations between humans and digimon in that reality aren't exactly very great...in fact, it would appear that the prime overseer of that Digital World, may not be fond of them...And I'd say we could perhaps push him even further on that level..." Ragnarok continued.

"What is that prime overseer?" ChaosRyumon asked.

Ragnarok stopped walking, before looking slightly at his servant, a dark grin present upon his face.

"The so-called 'God of the Digital World'..._Yggdrasil_...

And apparently...those little Zone Tamers call that that reality...

The _**Savers Zone**_..." he answered back, eyes glowing with power.

And ChaosRyumon replied with a large toothy grin of his own...

---

A portal flared to life, in different skies, skies clearly belonging to a Digital World...

And from that portal, came flying through Korialstrasz, with the Digidestined and their partners riding on his back. The dragon then headed out straight toward a nearby forest.

"Ahhh finally...Back in the True Digital World..." Lizomon said, taking on a big smell of the air. "I think I missed that air for a while..."  
"Yeah, guess it'll be back to the usual business now..." Regan said.  
Korialstrasz remained silent, apparently only focused on flying.  
"I wonder how the others were in our absence." Gatomon said.  
"Right...Korialstrasz, do you know how everyone else was while we were away?" Kari asked to the ancient dragon.

Yet again, the dragon remained silent.  
"Hey, Korialstrasz!!!" Regan yelled out.  
The dragon blinked a few times, before his eyes looked toward his passengers.  
"No doubt all of them were tremendously worried of your absence, children, but I believe they should have fared well otherwise..." Korialstrasz answered.

Regan frowned. "Korialstrasz...What's wrong?" he asked.  
"Nothing considerable..." the dragon replied. "I was merely caught up in my own thoughts..."  
"Really?" Regan said, doubtful.

"Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyy!!!!" a yell came from earthward, causing the children and digimon to look down, before they started to see some familiar faces.

Regan and Kari smiled as they easily recognized some of them as being their friends here in the True Digital World, waved at them.

"So...what is it then?" Lizomon asked out. "I don't think Regan's trusting up your word on that."  
Regan quickly looked again at the dragon's head, who still appeared to be simply flying along.

Korialstrasz however let out a long sigh. "You will no doubt need to know..." he spoke, before veering off, toward an edge of that forest, then proceeded to land.

As soon as he was upon the ground, he allowed the children and digimon to disembark, and as soon as they did so, they stared back at him.

"Tell us." Regan said, growing suspicious while Kari looked concerned. "What is it about?"

Korialstrasz looked aside for a moment...then looked back again at the Digidestined.

"I'm afraid to say that Ysera was not entirely honest." Korialstrasz said.  
That made the two Digidestined worried. "What are you talking of Korialstrasz? Honest about what?" Regan asked.

"About preserving their memories..." the dragon darkly added.

Kari, Regan, Lizomon and Gatomon all stood silent, shock visible on their faces.

"What?!? You mean...she would have lied to Kylee?!?" Regan said.  
"...Why would she even do that?" Kari asked.  
"She had to have a damn good reason, did she?" Lizomon said.  
"Seriously, it's not as if she would be thinking we're nothing! There's no reasons why she'd do that to them right?" Gatomon asked.

Korialstrasz took in stride the multiple questions, before he spoke. "There are many reasons as to why she would do such a thing...But also, I do need to remind I am familiar with her...

As such...it wasn't hard for me to realize what she intended to do. If she truly is under the intent of erasing their memories as well, it is most likely due to the presence of the Legion in this attack.  
We are familiar with the fact how the Legion does not easily accept defeat, and sought to take revenge upon our world, Azeroth.  
And it may have been Ysera's belief that if no traces of the Legion's passing is present upon the world of your friends, then the risks of the Legion's return will be close to none."

"Come on! She can't be thinking that only because the Legion showed up she has to erase their memories! Heck, Erizonar told us he wasn't even with the Burning Legion, but with Ragnarok!" Regan said.

"That I am well aware of Regan." Korialstrasz calmly stated. "And that along with many other reasons is why I believe you are right."

The Digidestined and their digimon remained silent, actually shocked from what the dragon had just said.

"Excuse me?" Lizomon said, giving out an odd glance. "Did you actually said you agreed with Regan on that?"

"You heard me well." Korialstrasz said, his golden eyes burning strongly. "I sincerely believe Ysera would be making a mistake by erasing the memories of your friends, and this is why I intend to speak out to the Aspects on that matter, to reverse that decision before it is applied."

"You're...you're really serious about this?!?" Gatomon said, in shock.  
"You're not trying to joke with us, are you Korialstrasz?" Regan said, a bit doubtful.

The ancient dragon let out a long sigh.

"I can perfectly recall the name of every mortals that have worked for me, that acted at my side, or fought with me. No matter what race they were, I would consider them as friends.

And their names, their faces, I cannot forget them. I always recall them in my dreams, recall how many times they passed away, while I lived.  
And many of them were my own children Regan...

Trust me when I say...I would consider Kylee and Riza...as trusted friends, as much as you would." Korialstrasz spoke, his tone tremendously deep.

"...You're kidding right?" Regan said. That was one thing he never thought he would hear. Korialstrasz actually considering Riza and Kylee as friends?!?

"...You could say...I've grown fond of them..." the dragon somewhat hesitantly replied. "And that is why I must intervene in their favour. If there is anyone who can convince the Aspects of undoing that decision, it is none other than me."

On that, Regan knew he was right. Alexstrasza's Prime Consort was not only deeply respected(not to mention loved) by the Red Dragonqueen, but he was also highly respected by the other Aspects. Korialstrasz had more than once done many actions that helped the other Aspects, and the entire world of Azeroth at many times. No wonder he's a dragon to respect.

"...Thanks Korialstrasz...Thanks a lot..." Regan said, somewhat heartened, and touched by that unexpected decision from the elder dragon.  
"I will return as soon as I am able. Until then, enjoy your reunion with your friends here, Core Chosens." Korialstrasz spoke up before opening his wings and taking off to the skies, and quickly left through another portal of his making.

"Regan!!!" a young voice spoke out behind Regan and Kari. Regan turned back, smiling as he easily recognized the voice, familiar to his ears.  
"Narika!" Regan replied back happily, as a young girl about 8 years old, with short brown hair, wearing red shorts and a blue shirt ran up to him, followed up by a Dorumon behind her.  
"Where were you gone?" Narika asked as she came up to her brother.  
"Well...

...It's gonna be a long story..." Regan hesitantly stated out.

Others quickly started to come, as the reunion finally began...

---

"...and thus, this is why I believe that erasing or altering the memories of these two human and digimon would be unnecessary in this matter." Korialstrasz spoke up, finishing his long series of explanations he had prepared.

A strange emptiness reigned all around him, a unique place which did not truly existed, so to speak.  
An ideal place for some special meetings with the Four, aside from the Chamber itself...

After a moment...they started to manifest their presences...bringing themselves into view of the elder red dragon.

"Good amount of reasoning and examples Korialstrasssz..." a long voice spoke, as an immense dragon whose scales seemed to be not just colored in bronze, but his very body and flesh also seemed to be made of glittering sand, as lights kept sparkling and reflecting whenever some reflections occurred in the mystical realm they were in...

The Aspect of Time...Nozdormu. Often named the Timeless One...

"Still...the decision was already made." Another voice replied out, speaking without any traces of emotion in it, sounding tremendously cold, as a large blue dragon manifested itself, magical power sparking up around his form.

Malygos, the Aspect of Magic. The one which was also called the Spellweaver.

"What do you mean?" Korialstrasz asked, somewhat uncertain.

"We mean that we had already executed the decision before you came here, Korialstrasz..." Ysera spoke out as she showed herself in her full green dragon form, easily towering over the red dragon, yet rivalling the other two Aspects in size.

Ysera, the Aspect of Dreams. Often called the Dreamer, for such.

"No...You cannot say that." Korialstrasz replied back.

"Sadly Korialstrasz...it is the truth. Ysera began reforming the memories and events in the minds of the denizens of that world as soon as you, the children and their digimon companion left that world." Another voice spoke. Despite the dark news, that female voice spoke with much kindness and understanding, the voice of a loving mother.

While she was obviously the same size than her fellow Aspects, Korialstrasz's beloved queen always seemed to stand even greater than the others. Her beautiful crimson body clearly had a grand presence of life to it, golden orbs gazing out compassionately to those who were in need.

Alexstrasza, his beloved, his world, his life...The Aspect of Life, the Life-Binder...and also called the Dragonqueen, for in a sense, she was almost considered to be queen of all dragonkind.

"Ysera...Why such a hasty act?" Korialstrasz spoke out, head low.

Ysera let out a long sigh, her form growing hazy for a moment, before returning to a more solid state. "Because Korialstrasz, all those events that had transpired here could not be ignored in any way. The first time, those exceptions were acceptable, but this time, far much more was stirred by the actions of that creature you call Ragnarok...

We could not stand aside and simply ignore all of the possible consequences.  
One could say...it was the grim price to pay, for this world's salvation..." she explained.

A grim price...and a truly sour victory for the two Digidestined, who had literally lost their dear friends, in perhaps a more shocking way than death...

"We were willing to observe the actions, and we even requested their aid in some grim matters. They trusted and believed in our greatness and nobility...

...and that is how we repay them?" Korialstrasz grimly stated.

"They helped as much as it was needed." Malygos replied. "But remember we also acted only because of your requests. You called for my aid when you wanted that temporary rift opened to that 'dark world'."

"You were the only one whom Korialstrasz actually went to ask aid from, Malygos. Ysera actually called out to them to aid her, while Alexstrasza came and acted of her own accord on that matter, even if it was to the...uncertainty of her consort..." Nozdormu stated, unperturbed.

"Even so, we all agreed upon acting to aid that world in the end." Malygos said. "Those consequences, no matter how grim they may be, are an acceptable price."

"Still!" Korialstrasz said. He didn't wanted to give up. He had to make them see his point of view, how they did deserved to be spared...

"Would you know of an alternative Korialstrasssz?" Nozdormu suddenly asked. "Another way that could have been done instead?"

Korialstrasz remained silent, a bit uncertain. And all the while, the Aspects stared at him, waiting.

Of course, there might be an alternative...But...

The elder red dragon lowered his head. "...No..." he grimly replied, defeated.

"Then nothing else could be done..." Ysera said. "This matter is thus, concluded...no matter how grim it may be..."

"...I'm sorry Korialstrasz..." Alexstrasza sadly spoke, with a deep sadness.  
"Take no blame upon yourself..my love, my life..." Korialstrasz replied back. Taking another breath, he spoke again. "I will return to the children of Life and Light...There is no doubt after all that they will need to be made aware of your final decision..."

"Understood..." Ysera stated. After a moment, she spoke again. "You did what you had to do, Korialstrasz, no matter how hard it was. You did excellent work, remember that..."

"_...And still it does not make me proud..."_ the red dragon grimly thought to himself. "_Because I failed them..."_

---

"And so that's how we finally managed to beat up the Legion, and kicked back Ragnarok where he belongs." Lizomon said.  
Night had fallen upon the True Digital World, and all of the other Core Chosen had gathered up to reunite with those they had thought were lost.  
"Man, that's quite a tale..." a boy dressed in black, with a dark sleeveless shirt, short dark brown hairs and brown eyes said. Floating near him was a Patamon.  
"It kinda is indeed, Brian..." Kari replied back to the boy.  
"But you guys are okay now, right?" a short young girl around Narika's age asked. She sat near the other boy, although she had pale white hairs and wore black shorts with a sleeveless pink shirt, and snoring right at her side was an Impmon.  
"Don't worry Ghelsey, we're fine now."  
"To say that the Guardian resurfaced..." another one spoke, a digimon though. He looked more or less like an Agumon, however he was wearing a form-fitting gray and dark armor upon his body, with some pink extrusions coming out of the sides of his head. He also had a brown cloak around himself. And right now, that digimon had a look of pure ecstasy upon his face...or maybe way too much ecstasy... "And he defeated his ancient enemy once again!!! Truly the Guardian is unlimited!!!"

Regan and Lizomon only sighed at that.

"This certainly was an interesting series of adventures though..." another boy spoke, looking somewhat older than the others, wearing dark blue pants and vest, with a lighter blue shirt underneath, along with a pink hat which looked virtually identical to Mimi Tachikawa's old hat. "And I suppose it would explain your unusual absence from the first time you disappeared, after that confrontation with Ragnarok?"

"Yeah yeah...that was indeed what first happened to me Takumi. I don't need reminders." Regan stated out, a bit annoyed.

"Tronix and Samuel will be coming up soon, right?" Gatomon asked.  
"Don't worry." Brian said. "We called them and they got the good news. They're as happy as we are to see you two back."  
The other mentioned two were boys which were also part of their group. Tronix was a boy with dark hairs and clothes and gray eyes who actually had two partners, a Terriermon and a Bearmon. Samuel on the other hand, was a light brown haired boy wearing a short red coat over a green shirt, along with dark green pants. This red eyed boy though had a somewhat unusual digimon, a BlackGuilmon as a partner.

"Regan, Kari. May I speak with you and your partners?" the voice of Krasus suddenly interrupted as the tall gray cloaked figure walked in from behind them.

"Of course!" Regan said, getting up quickly, and hopeful.  
However the cloaked dragon mage only gestured to follow him.

"We'll be right back." Lizomon said to the others as the two children had started to go on ahead, and with that he and Gatomon quickly followed on.

"So, what did they said?" Regan asked, somewhat worryingly. "Did you managed to talk some sense to them?"

"They had already taken the decision to do that, and had actually applied it the very moment we left Kylee and Riza's reality..." Krasus darkly spoke.

The children and digimon remained silent, in shock.

"No...you can't say that..." Regan muttered.  
"I assure you...I tried to convince them otherwise...but..." the dragon mage lowered his head.  
Kari only looked deeply saddened. "So...that means that the Kylee and Riza we knew...are gone?" she dreadfully asked.  
"Unfortunately yes. Ysera has most likely erased their memories...Those friends you had...are no more..." Krasus answered.  
"Damn it!!!" Regan angrily yelled, then his head dropped, his fists closed tightly. "...I trusted you Krasus...I actually wanted to trust you this time...That you could do it...  
But you bastard can't even do it! You couldn't even same them!!!" Regan yelled out at the dragon mage.

"Do you think I appreciate this turn of events as well Regan? I am as much displeased and saddened as you are!" Krasus suddenly spoke, his tone actually much more risen than usual...As he actually sounded...angry... "You have my word I sought to do everything I could to convince the Aspects that this decision was not needed...but I couldn't...  
I failed..." the dragon said, his burst of anger quickly fading, as he returned to his 'neutral self'.

Seeing Krasus actually goes out on an emotional fit, even such a short one, was very surprising to Regan, Kari, Lizomon and Gatomon. They had always seen Krasus(or Korialstrasz) easily controlling his emotions, virtually showing no traces of them whenever he acted. But to see him now...

It did made Regan realize a bit...that the dragon wasn't immune to sorrow, no matter how ancient and mighty he was...

"It's just...not fair Krasus..." Regan said, tears coming up in his eyes.  
"No...It's not...it's not fair indeed...But we can't go back on it anymore..." Krasus said.

"The only thing we can still do now...is honor their memories, their _true_ memories that we witnessed and lived with them...

...and honor their forgotten dreams..." the dragon mage spoke, looking upward to the starry sky.

The children and their digimon soon imitated him, looking skyward as well, a hand held to their hearts, as they made a silent farewell to their lost friends...

---

"_That would be thus the end of this. The actions of Kylee Henke and Riza Ryuzaki, along with their digimon partners, had a tremendous impact upon the Chosen Children of Life and Light, Regan Astrasz and Kari Kamiya._

_I also admit...they affected me as well._

_They held such strong dreams and will to live, as they truly were determined to stand up to their friends, with undying loyalty._

_Truly, they should be remembered as heroes._

_Thus, this is why I wrote this, so that they are not truly forgotten, and that others may know of those who gave much to others, often in return for little...and yet they received bountiful rewards...until it was all taken away from them..."_

Krasus/Korialstrasz pulled himself back from an odd keyboard on a stone dais he had been typing on. He had returned to his hideout in the True Digital World ever since his conversation with the Children of Life and Light, and been brooding ever since...until he had decided to do that.

For hours he wrote in his notes, of these adventures Regan had gone through with these two Tamers, of everything they had done to help him defeat Ragnarok the first time, and then how they helped him again, along with Kari Kamiya, the second time they were unexpectedly thrown back into the Tamers' reality, by the hand of Ragnarok again.

He felt he had to do that for them. A manner in which to honor their memories. To honor their forgotten dreams.

The dragon mage had often been adding personal comments as well, and he read again what he had finished just now.

It was true. These two Tamers had somehow affected him...despite the fact he didn't spent much time with these children.

He looked to his side, gazing at some orbs that were floating...  
...orbs that showed images, actions and events of what the Digidestined and Tamers had done and lived through together.

The dragon mage sighed, knowing his own hand in all of this, how he felt highly responsible of what had happened to these two children.

He went to write again...

"_While we may die, our memories live on through those who lived with us. That is a certainty regarding Kylee Henke and Riza Ryuzaki. They will be remembered by those who lived and fought aside them._

_It only pains me that no true alternative was never brought...  
For I would not have desired their fate to end that way..."_

Krasus paused again, pondering once more. He recalled Nozdormu's words, how the Aspect of Time had asked if he knew of an alternative to Ysera's decision...  
For a moment, Korialstrasz had been believing of an alternative...  
But there were risks to it...And it could have demanded much of the two Tamers...

But now, thinking of it again, would it have been worse than the fate they now suffered?

"_...However..._

_I have no intention of letting the story of Kylee Henke and Riza Ryuzaki end this way..."_

_The Manifesto of Korialstrasz, stories of the Tamers and Non-Tamers_

_**THE END...**_

_**...OR IS IT?**_

---

Thank you for reading the two fics of Non-Tamer. Before you ask about any next sequel, I will answer to that. Yes, I am making a third fic right now, but no, I will not upload it yet on . It is still in making on DeviantArt. Thus, if you'd like to watch the newer chapters of the third fic, please go on my DeviantArt page (.com) in order to see more of them.

Thanks again for reading and I hoped you liked my works.


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